


A Dragon with Eight Legs

by UsagiSquared



Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2020-07-23 22:44:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 26,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20015998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UsagiSquared/pseuds/UsagiSquared
Summary: It's a strange, strange world out there- full of ancient artifacts and magic that can give cards teeth.Sometimes there's a scientific explanation for something new.But mostly you just want to pull on a mask and do something with the weird powers that cropped up after something radioactive bit you.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This started as just an idea I shot around on discord, but thanks to some nudging (and help) from others it's just. BLOWN UP into a full on fanfic oops.
> 
> I want to give genuine thanks to bobtailsquid and dxmichelle (both here on Ao3) for their comments and advice along the way though, and highly recommend you check out their works too! They've got really good fanfic for the DM series, and it's really worth your read and comment!

Jonouchi Katsuya was bitten by a spider when he was 15 and dazed out of his mind by the regular beatings of a gang he'd been part of about a year or so back. The only reason he knew this in fact was because he could recall idly watching it on his hand, his sluggish attempt to swat the thing prompting the stupid bug's retaliation.

And naturally while it hurt so did everything else so at that point he just sort of thought ' _ oh, i wonder if that's poisonous _ ' before blacking out again.

It must not have been, in the end. After all was said and handled the doctor didn't say a thing about it after all. In fact, the doctor told him he was fairly fortunate- minimal sustained internal injuries, apparently. Which was funny considering he swore he'd heard one of his ribs crack while getting the shit kicked out of him but who was he to argue, right?

About three days later he turned off the lights in the bathroom to see his own eyes shining back in red.

...

He very quickly turned them back on, checked his eyes over (still brown, still very very brown), and proceeded to then scare himself again when turning the lights off still got the same result. So that was a thing.

Upside, he felt like it was way way easier to see in the dark over all, so...cool?

Maybe not cool, he decided. Things felt louder. People felt  _ closer _ somehow, like they were breathing down his neck. The added paranoia somehow made gym class a blast given he was dodging anything that came his way but the sensation of being this on edge was worse than even his first week out of Hirutani's gang, back when he was looking over his shoulder constantly.

He caught the bottle his dad threw at him the next night and stood there for a full five seconds before realizing he'd only been thinking about if there would be any leftover rice left when he opened the door.

If he weren't so freaked out, he'd probably have been thrilled. It felt like a _ comic book _ . It felt like the hero's origin story, as weird new powers developed, and all he needed was the tragic backstory.

(If he wasn't so freaked out, he'd briefly be terrified and hope he didn't get any tragic backstory)

So he could see in the dark. Cool. He could...sense things, he decided, much as it was hard to keep from hyper-focusing on everything going on in the classroom. Sort of cool- still didn't understand the teacher, but somehow taking notes was actually keeping his mind from feeling ready to  _ explode _ (as much as he nearly beat Honda's ass for joking about a sudden increase in study habits with exams approaching). So he...Sort of understood more in class now? Eh. Didn't matter. He could dodge or catch a punch way easier, and that was the most important part to him. All he needed now was super strength, or-

...

Or you know, his pen could get stuck to his fingers. At the time he'd fussed about someone pulling a prank. Obviously, someone put glue on his pen.  _ Obviously _ . And also his paper. And his bag. And...

His desk.

His classmates agreed that he had both a Very Strong Arm and a Very Nasty Glue-Source, when actual shavings of wood came off after the third frustrated pull.

Jonouchi for his part, washed his hands about 20 times more than normal and resolutely refused to touch anything for the rest of the day and  _ still _ failed, nearly ruining one of his t-shirts after he got home later on.

Sticking. Sticking! What was even the point of sticking! And it was his feet too- found that out dancing around trying to get his hand off the wall only to find his foot stuck instead.

...

If he could control that, it'd be pretty neat, he'd admit. 

He spent his entire evening trying to do just that, confusing a handful of pigeons and an alley cat as he worked away on the only wall he was sure he wouldn't just pull With him, feeling a little alarmed when occasionally he'd get shards of brick on his hands  _ anyway _ . That sure wasn't normal. Hell, his classmates were right, it'd take a real strong arm to...

...

_ He had the super strength. _

Night vision, Sensing, Sticking, and Strength. It was a cool power-set once he got over the fear, and even cooler once he had the sticking thing down. Or thought he had it down. It helped not to think about it, and instead focus on how cool it was to be able to just wander around his ceiling in his socks. The question then was what to do with it. And how to work with it. And...

...How to hide it, he decided.

Night vision was easy. Don't turn the lights off while he was in the room. Check.

Sensing was easier. Just don't freak out about stuff. It was fine he could be cool and catch everything that got thrown at him. That was a totally normal thing to do. Check.

Sticking was a nobrainer. He had that in the bag, because otherwise he'd never be able to get rid of his bag. Double Check.

Strength...eh. He'd just have to improvise on that one.

So that was hiding it out of the way. Now...

What to  _ do _ with it. Obviously the next step was a costume if he really wanted to dive head first into cartoon fantasy on this. But much as everyone called him an idiot, he wasn't  _ actually _ one.

Or. Well. Alright his grades were shit but when it came to this he could be realistic. He'd been in a gang. He knew how that shit worked. And...

...

What  _ Was _ stopping him, actually? What  _ Was _ stopping him from just throwing on a mask and pummeling a few punks into a wall? If  _ he _ got knocked down and told to cut his shit or else, he'd probably believe it.

Maybe.

Hm.

He opted to wander instead. Wander after making himself something of a disguise, anyway- a black hoodie, some finger-less gloves and black socks, and he was off- and hey, turned out he could  _ jump _ pretty far too! That was neat. He was like a parkour master!

After day one, he added a black bandanna to the mix, covering his nose and mouth. Day two, he got himself some cheap goggles. Nothing that would actually...Do anything, but he could see in the dark easy anyway, so this was as good a way as anything to hide his eyes.

Day three...

...

Beating the tar out of someone and leaving them there with a warning just felt like he was back with Hirutani and he threw his goggles to the floor of his room before curling onto his bed for the rest of the night. Life wasn't like cartoons. Pounding someone to the ground wasn't clean, it was messy and ended in blood on your knuckles. And pounding someone for pounding someone? More than just a retaliation blow?

Hell, just write 'bullshit' on his forehead why not. If it was like cartoons, it'd be way easier. In cartoons they just tied folks up with a big bow and dumped them on the cops doorst-

...

He had an idea, and it helped that a day or so later he and Yugi got jumped by Hirutani's gang again. He’d strung up those guys easy with those yo-yos after all! ...Probably broke their fingers too. Sucked for them but whatever. But it was an _ idea _ , he thought when he chased after Hirutani. An _ idea _ and being blind didn't even stop that idea. He could  _ sense _ the blow that was coming, pull back as if he knew what was there...

He let Hirutani fall because if he didn't, he'd keep coming back.

But he got himself some stronger rope from there and a few stronger weights and started  _ practicing _ after that. Beating the crap out of any thug and prick on the street didn't feel great.

But jumping roof to roof, jumping down from nowhere to tie 'm up and book it while their victim called 119? 

That  _ did. _


	2. Chapter 2

Seto Kaiba liked to think he was good at coping with exhaustion (which he, for the record, wasn't actually suffering from, but if he _did_ ). Late nights at work when even the secretary and most security staff went home were nothing, and what was the shame of Still being there when the next group came in anyway.

He had to ask himself if maybe, just maybe, Mokuba was onto something when he saw someone in a hoodie and socks clambering up his window.

On the 90th floor.

Ultimately it was the blond (and they were definitely blond, as a bit of hair was poking under the hood), who made him realize this was real. Ages of self taught lipreading developed to sort out when someone tried talking about him from just the right distance (and he was Not paranoid, Mokuba, it was a good skill to have, stop rolling your eyes) said...

Alright either 'you're here THIS LATE' or 'weren’t you on a DATE', and given context it was probably the former, and...

...Hold on goggles or no, he recognized that face.

"Jonouchi," he growled. "Get off my building."

'HUH?' was the reply, and so he repeated the message on a post-it- and then some- before slapping it to the window.

_'Get off my building before I have to deal with a Second faller'_

He should have expected the answer. 'Second!?' Also- 'I AIN'T GONNA FALL!'

Frankly it was astounding that the idiot was stable on the glass. Hell, he'd moved to sit now, how did that...

He banged a fist, startling the teen as he scurried further up the glass. "Jonouchi I mean it..!" He snarled, forgetting about the notes for now.

Jonouchi glared- and then paused, froze, reached at the bandanna at his neck...

Oh, that was supposed to be a mask.

Gears turned and Seto realized how else he was familiar, and in his shock it seemed Jonouchi was taking his escape farther up the building.

He could handle that. Cornering him at the helipad wouldn't exactly be hard. He was even able to guess where he was.

"Get down before I do what I should have, idiot, and call security."

"Nyh-!"

Perched at the top of the satellite tower that no one should've been able to climb. (So of course, naturally, he'd been able to climb it)

"Should I _bother_ asking for a reason you're up there, or am I just going to get a lame excuse about magic?" he asked dryly, and for an instant he swore Jonouchi was _pouting_.

"Hey, don't lump me in w' that stuff!" he protested, as if he would have any idea what ‘that stuff’ even was. "It's totally different!"

"And?"

And Jonouchi muttered something, leading Seto to roll his eyes.

"I'm waiting, _idiot_."

"An' I don't know, alright! Maybe I drank somethin', It just kinda started happenin' alright!"

Well that explained- rather didn't explain- the 'how'. But- "You just 'started' climbing my company tower?"

Jonouchi pointed accusingly. "Look moneybags just b'cause you're some kinda workaholic don't mean I didn't do my homework! I wanted t' climb the tallest buildin' in the area, and I wanted t' make sure no one chased me off! Ain't my fault you were still here."

Of course. "You wanted to climb the tallest building," he repeated. " _Why?_ "

"Because I could?"

Ugh. "And the fact that you could break your neck didn't deter you? How were you going to get down? Or did you actually expect me to humor any requests after you got yourself stuck in the tree?"

"OIIIII, look here..!"

It didn't matter, ultimately. Seto cut him off. "Whatever, Jonouchi. Get inside- we've got more to talk about than you getting sock fibers on the outside of my windows apparently."

"...Nyh?" That caught the blond off guard. He blinked, leaning over- like a better angle would somehow make his intentions more clear.

"Are you deaf as well as stupid? _Get inside_."

While it wasn't without protest, he listened from there- and when the protesting was over, the awkward silence (awkward for Jonouchi at least- hardly so for himself) made it easier to observe what he was dealing with. 

If he had been dressed for running around with the rest of his bunch, he'd be mostly fine. Jeans. Hooded sweater. The attempt to make up for a mask was laughable at best- goggles and a bandanna made him look more like another criminal than a so-called masked hero.

Seto couldn't help the slight deepening of a frown when he was reminded that Jonouchi wasn't wearing shoes however. Socks. Jonouchi crawled up his building in _socks_.

This was ridiculous.

"Were you wearing this that night as well?" Seto asked, Jonouchi jumping as he was suddenly addressed. It wasn't much longer before they were entering his office as it was, the CEO gesturing inside for the other to take a seat.

He didn't sit. "Hn? Gotta be more specific than that, Kaiba- I do this most nights y'know..." He eyed the taller one with considerable suspicion, enough that it almost made him snort.

He couldn't fault him after all. If anything, it was the wiser opinion to have. "Do you periodically forget whose fights you step between then? Or should I refresh your memory?"

...

It took him a few seconds longer than he'd have liked, but the vigilante figured it out in the end. "Wai- You were th' guy in that alley?!" Vague, but at least it got them somewhere.

"Obviously...and you were the idiot who jumped on a gun," Seto 'countered'. "In _this_."

Jonouchi snorted. "What, got a problem with bein' saved by a guy in a sweater?"

"I have a problem knowing there's a vigilante going through the city in the kind of outfit that will get him killed in due time, that's all. How long has this been going on?"

"None of yer business, that's how long..!"

"You climbed up my building, you made it my business."

"Like hell, Kaiba! 'S got nothin' to do with it!"

"Doesn't it?" The boldness of his tone seemed to cut the other's protests for just a moment- Seto took full advantage. "Don't get me wrong, Jonouchi. Until you decided to place yourself on my window, I frankly didn't care to even remember your name. But you being the same 'vigilante' who's been cleaning the streets of small-fry..." He watched as the blond growled under the implications of how 'little' he was doing, smirking. "...consider me interested in what you could do with something other than dollar-store goggles and a lasso."

Before, it had been almost amusing at how long it could take for something to sink in for Jonouchi.

Now it was just irritating, even if he got to the point. "Wai'...You want to do _what_?" Partly.

Seto sat at his desk. Folded his hands, and for a brief moment ran over his options. Right now he was in the middle of something after all. Plans for KaibaLand, plans for a little surprise for the one who defeated him in the classroom those nights ago...plans for the three cards that would soon be the Only cards if he had his way.

But he wasn't an idiot. Within a matter of weeks, the papers had been writing stories about an 'unknown petty hero', someone who was literally swinging in from nowhere to tie up anything from purse thieves to drug traders and simply leave them to be found literally covered in the evidence, eye witnesses in shock. It was almost like comic books.

Kids liked comic books.

Kids who liked comic books tended to convince their parents to buy related merchandise. 

(And...if he hadn't jumped down that night, at just the right moment, when the gun had been pointed toward his face...)

It was a good investment, Seto told himself. 

...And a hero with a rope could be just what he needed to get to 'him' in a way more truly satisfying than his original tower could have ever imagined. Three for three-

.....

Two for two rather, on the advantages...

With a gleam in his eye he made his offer.

"What if you had a mask that wouldn't fall off simply by turning your head the wrong direction, Jonouchi?"

The blond might have griped about it, but when Seto caught the excitement in the other's eyes he knew he'd won.


	3. Chapter 3

The Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle didn't know what to make of most things. His existence, at least for the moment, was a fleeting one. An experience formed of blended memories and instances where he was allowed to breathe air on his own, speaking the words of ancient magic to allow old rules to deal their justice.

He was about to do that now. About to tell the man in the alley he'd encountered while his 'original' half sought out their friend, about a game they could play with nothing but the rubbish on the ground around them.

And perhaps a knife.

"HHHHHAAH!"

Before he could even say, 'Would you like to play a game', there was a loud shout as someone dressed in black and red literally  _ fell _ from the air. He was almost certain he heard a crack as the thug went down, rope literally wrapping around him as it was launched under the force of a hubcap tied to the end. The hooded figure was quick to act- tightening the rope, taking the hubcap back...

"Heh! See if y' don't pick on someone yer own size!" came a muffled- but familiar voice, and the spirit of the puzzle stared.

The hooded figure turned, and froze.

"Y...Yu-"

"Jono-"

And then they ran, leaving Yugi blinking.

The next morning Jonouchi said nothing. Yugi said nothing. But the spirit of the puzzle watched through his eyes like a ghost, ever curious, ever wondering, until finally he realized something.

His friend was...something like him, wasn't he? Someone who delivered justice from the shadows. But he wore a mask. He wore a mask, hid his face...

His 'original' self talked to his friends about the one in the papers, the one that, in actuality, was right beside them. Said it was like...comics.

The spirit of the puzzle came out unprompted that evening, curiosity consuming them. They crept quietly through their window and sought out where they felt their friend could be, and watched as they worked.

Yugi went to school tired the next morning. Jonouchi was tired as well.

No one asked more than one question.

Jonouchi always went back home at a certain point to sleep. The spirit attempted to use that as his guide, and went out with their pattern. Creeping out. Staring. Learning.

A mask, like in 'comics'...

He needed to hide the Puzzle.

The point of cloaking an identity was that nothing could identify you, nothing could go back to you.

A puzzle, even if he left no witnesses, was a key. He couldn't just hang it over his back and hide it there- he could strangle himself. He needed a way to wrap it around his shoulders if anything, to...

Store it, perhaps.

A backpack then. Small, soft, holes in the right places as he looped string around his arms.

Everything else was easy from there. Hair could go under a hood, or a hat, or...a bandanna, something covering. Add gloves. Add longer sleeves, anything that covered and seemed covering.

Like a mummy, he found himself almost comfortably thinking. Or as he was, something revived from thousands of years. 

In the evenings the Spirit of the Puzzle took hold, pulled on a mask hidden carefully where he knew 'he' never looked, and sought out those who deserved worse than Jonouchi's rope.

And asked them, eyes ever gleaming beneath a cloth mask, if they wanted to play a Game.


	4. Chapter 4

They didn't get along.

"We need to be sure what you're actually capable of," Kaiba told him the first time they met after that evening, in an arranged pick up where one wouldn't have to worry about making everyone Else worry, and where Kaiba himself would simply not have to tip his hand tht he was suddenly coaching a former classmate in being a superhero of all things.

Not that he ever, Ever, put it that way.

"An' I ain't about to be a lab rat!" Jonouchi had curtly replied, only to find himself in the chamber an hour later Anyway. They tested anything he could think of having, and a little bit beyond it as well- ultimately Kaiba was the one to draw connections to spiders. The choking that resulted when Jonouchi jokingly wondered if that spider bite really _was_ poisonous was worth it, even if they both realized that was probably the actual answer.

He digressed- a word he didn't even actually know about until Kaiba used it so much- they really...Did not get along.

The first impressions never helped. Before he bothered casing the tower to try climbing it, he'd figured Kaiba sharing names with 'KaibaCorp' was just a coincidence. Like Honda. Honda sure wasn't connected to the car company. Honda was just Honda.

But go figure, the guy was in class for maybe two months, mouthed him off for his starting deck when he'd just learned what Duel Monsters actually was, drooled over Grandpa Mutou's card like it was worth more than his entire company, and then literally one week later the guy left.

Also, they had a weird ghost story going around about their classroom being haunted by the screams of a dying student. Those had gone down now, and thank god, because he Hated that.

He was still digressing. Kaiba was a jerk. And Kaiba didn't stop being a jerk either. Every other statement was 'idiot', or some comment on how he looked, or acted, and when it wasn't that it felt like it Anyway. And _yet_.

...

And yet he didn't buy it.

The excuse, anyway. About not wanting him dead. He figured there was probably something he'd get out of this- but he was also kind of curious about if Kaiba could actually MAKE that kind of thing, and hell he didn't make him sign anything so why the fuck not right? If he wanted to blackmail 'm he could've done that from the other side of the window.

So he kept at it, ignored the comments (sometimes), and tried to just deal. Heck after a few days of meeting up and driving off, it was already pretty easy to find the right buttons to avoid while acting his usual! And it was never very long that he was over anyway- he still had some patrolling he wanted to do, and Kaiba himself encouraged it. Keep up the presence. Testing in the field would be inevitable anyway.

Sticking to walls was indefinite, and worked through thin fabrics- it also worked through certain Not-So-Thin-Fabrics, but Kaiba wanted to test how long that lasted Just In Case.

There were also cushions on the floor for that. Just in case.

"So I just gotta stand here?"

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"We'll call it at two hours, we already know you have better limits for that position, but you shouldn't be glued to someone's ceiling for longer than that regardless." 

They were testing a particularly durable fabric that Kaiba had pulled together from...Something. What was the something? Kaiba didn't say, just looked at him and rolled his eyes and asked if he'd bothered looking into what KaibaCorp _made_ before looking into the building.

But anyway they were testing that, for two hours now, which seemed a good time to talk.

"So...if yer workin' on all this stuff, what's the rest of the company doing?"

It was an honest question. And one that probably wasn't out of line- and he was right! Kaiba looked up, stared, and answered. "We're under an overhaul, actually."

"Overhaul? Changin' up what the main deal is then?"

"Something like that...you might even pay attention to it once we're done; a good amount of the building is being reconstructed for it," he continued, turning his attention down.

"Nyh? Seriously?!"

The conversation started, and surprisingly, actually lasted the full two hours. Kaiba of course cut it short the minute the timer went- Jonouchi was still sitting there, proving that the 'socks' of Mystery Fabric worked fine enough. But...

He felt a bit like it went better than usual. This time, he only called him an idiot _ten_ times.

So maybe, just maybe, they'd get along just fine actually.


	5. Chapter 5

"NYH-!"

'Catch', is what Kaiba didn't say, but naturally Jonouchi caught the thing easily. The thing in question looked to be some sort of wrist device, a tiny nozzle fixed to it.

Jonouchi stared. "....Th' heck is this."

"Ropes," Kaiba 'answered', "Are impractical. Aside from the fact that you regularly have to gather the momentum before you throw them, you also have to reclaim the weights and replace the rest. This will replace that."

He looked at the device. And then at Kaiba. "...This will."

"Yes."

He must have been staring too long, because Kaiba waved him over to the elevator they'd been using to go to the testing room for the last month or so.

"Your aim is impeccable- that much, I can say without hesitation," he was told, and just like that his silence was ensured for another half second. "I've created something to work with that...not to mention your 'aesthetic'."

Heh. "...My aesthetic?" Jonouchi remarked dryly.

Kaiba just smirked. "Spiders."

The elevator stopped, and they moved to the chamber- with a point to the far wall and ceiling, that was that.

"Once it's on your wrist, flick your hand down while pressing against your palm. Like this," he gestured, Jonouchi studying the motion carefully. "You'll figure it out from there."

Alright. "Okay..." Something was probably going to happen, and Kaiba pointed at that wall for a reason so... "Aim...an'..."

- _PSWWT!_ -

"WOAH!"

Jonouchi jumped, looking from web, to Kaiba (who was smirking), to web-

"Wh- What! How th' hell did all that-"

"Chemical formulas," Kaiba answered easily. "The device has a stock of fluid, which when combined make a super flexible, super sticky solution- this solution is shaped initially by the tube, but allowed to spread and adhere the longer it's exposed to air...though after a few minutes," he added smugly, "Nothing else can stick to it anymore. Perfect for trapping your opponents like flies, wouldn't you say?"

Jonouchi certainly thought so- thrilled, he choked and looked over the webbing device. "H...Hell yeah it is..! ...Er...I ain't gonna leave anyone stuck in these forever though right..?"

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "It dissolves after 2 hours, I'm not an idiot Jonouchi." Ah, back to the insults...

Still. "Heh! Great then~ I can't wait t' test this out!"

"Glad to hear it- I was going to ask you to do just that." 

It was no surprise that Kaiba was in such a good mood.

The webbing worked like a charm. His third encounter in the evening was gummed up and trapped like a bug, and Jonouchi grinned under his mask. "Heh! Perfect!" he cheered, only for shouts to come from the other end. One was bad enough. Two was pushing it.

_Ten_ though?

"Nyh-!" Ten, he wasn't going to try webbing up. They had him flanked at all sides, and were coming in fast- and in a stroke of panic he looked up, looked at the rafters, and aimed.

- _PSWHT!_ -

And _pulled_. The chemicals mixed. They shot forward like thread, but were restricted on one end by his hand. As they hardened they shrank, holding the flex but nonetheless allowing him the momentum to move upward.

The shouts continued and everything seemed to move at proper time again as he realized what happened.

Jonouchi took aim outside the window, and tried the same thing again- and again- and-

And then he was home.

"Hah....hah..."

He just swung home. Like some kind of spider tarzan.

"WHOO!" Jonouchi collapsed on his roof with a laugh and a sigh, still grinning. "...Man! ...Wait till that moneybags hears about this...!"


	6. Chapter 6

They called him 'Spiderman' the first time after he managed to unintentionally take out a high-profile gang runner who'd given him bad vibes. He'd followed him for a block or two, spotted a gun, and moved.

Someone got a picture on phone. He told the one who did it to call the police, and swung out of there.

And so...

'Spiderman'.

"Happened faster than expected," Kaiba remarked idly. "We need to move faster on your suit."

Kaiba suggested white at one point, which led to a playful (in Jonouchi's opinion) argument about how he could keep his Blue-Eyes out of the matter. "Stick t' the cards when it comes t' that!" he'd spat, and Kaiba had rather smugly waved one right in his hand. "Wh..."

"Bought it," was the calm answer, and they carried on. White was out of the picture.

Black...Black worked. If he wanted to be stealthy- the excuse for the white of course- then black would be perfect. 

"Not too much black though...we need a balance, probably red given your eyes..."

Kaiba was from there reduced to muttering, and Jonouchi stretched and asked if he should head for patrol.

The answer was a casual wave, and off he went.

Spiderman was what the papers called him, and it was because of the papers that he realized he wasn't the only one out there, because while he was getting a drink from the convenience store he just happened to spot the kind of dramatic gossip rag title that seemed to hit things a little too hard on the nose.

'SPIDERMAN CONNECTED TO SECOND MASKED 'HERO'?'

Someone else was doing this.

Someone who left people scared enough to turn themselves in, people muttering about games and plagued with nightmares. Someone who-

He couldn't find them, and he decided not to try, but it seemed somehow that the world had grown much bigger than it was before.


	7. Chapter 7

He had met Mokuba not long after Kaiba finished his web fluid. He was just getting used to it, and Kaiba himself was starting to occasionally even give him tips on possible scenes of crime; a helpful matter that often ended up with him taking down more heavily armed sorts, but he'd gladly jump at the chance to handle what the police apparently weren't.

This time he was tipped off to a kidnapping. There was a certain edge to Kaiba's words when he told him about it- Jonouchi figured it was because of what it was. It wasn't the first time he'd ended up dealing with a hostage of some kind, but it was the first that there was specifically a kidnapper involved after all. So he'd given a two-fingered salute and headed off, swinging away easily.

What he saw...

Well it was pretty standard honestly. A few hired thugs out front that he webbed up- mouths included, he was pretty good at doing the web-gag these days (it'd taken a bit of practice in the Test Room before he was confident enough that he wouldn't just suffocate anyone actually...).

And inside....

'Heh. Looks like they're going to deliver the cash after all...Who knew the Iceman had a heart huh?' chuckled the one Jonouchi assumed to be the kidnapper, pocketing their phone. Bound and gagged a young boy with long black hair and a strangely familiar face began to shake, eyes wide and watering. 

He'd pocketed the phone, but he was raising a gun.

'Shame though...this was about more than just money after all, and you just can't trust _kids_ these days...'

The boy's eyes widened-

And then from the shadows above where he'd been hiding, Jonouchi struck. The gun was pulled toward his hands and with a laugh he cracked it in half over his knee. Both gaped- more than enough time for Jonouchi to throw a half restrained blow to the kidnapper's gut, sending him sprawled to the ground. Half a second more and he was bound in webs, Jonouchi dusting his hands off from shattered metal. "Heh! First y' snatch the poor kid, now this? You ought be glad I only gave y' that kick!" he snapped, the man giving a groan.

In the chair the boy seemed more terrified than ever-

The masked man, in goggles and worn clothing, seemed to realize this. "Ah, hell...hey, kid- 's all good alrigh, I'm here t' get ye outta here..." He removed the gag first. "Got a tip that somethin' wasn' right about th' place, let's see about gettin' y' home huh? What's yer name?"

It was so...casual. It took a few seconds for him to even answer, it was so... "H...How did you..."

"Eeeeh, friend's in high places 'r somethin, that's what I figure- c'mon, bet someone's real worried about y' right? Whoever was about t' pay all that cash, however much it was. So...'m I givin a ride to a stranger, or..?" He-

"...Mokuba!" The boy blurted. "I...My name's Mokuba..! And... ...and my brother..." His eyes welled further, and Jonouchi panicked.

"Aaaah- Hey, hey kid, it's- Mokuba, it's alrigh'! We're gonna get y' to yer brother, safe and sound alrigh..?" He was already working away at untying the rest of the bonds, letting the boy get up on his own. "Anythin' hurt though? Like cuts, bruises..?"

Mokuba was silent, save for the occasional choke. "I..."

So Jonouchi sighed and rubbed his head, shaking it off. "Right, that's fair...probably still pretty spooked about all this shit anyway huh...well!" Hands on his hips, he grinned behind his more tightly fitting facemask- a temporary replacement for the bandanna that Kaiba gave him, for until the suit was made. "Take yer time- er...well, maybe not too long, I gotta get y' home before things really get hairy righ'?" he coughed nervously, the boy staring.

"...Who _are_ you?" Mokuba finally asked, still visibly in shock.

"Eh, me? What, not readin' th' papers?" The grin was growing wider, and he gestured to himself with his thumb. "Ta-daaaah! Spiderman~! Th' one an' only!"

Mokuba looked very much like he was wondering why Spiderman was an idiot.

Jonouchi tried to ignore that. "So anyway, let's go alrigh'? Y' mentioned yer brother righ'? He's probably worried sick..."

For some reason Mokuba seemed torn about that. Confused, even. The ransom had been paid...but...

"Man tho', he must be loaded or somethin', if a guy like this is after ye...car he had looked _real_ nice, those thugs out front wouldn' be cheap either..." Jonouchi was rambling, shaking his head. "Righ- you ready?"

Mokuba was still stunned. But slowly, he nodded.

...

He regretted nodding about five seconds later. "H-HHHHAAAAAHHH!!!"

"Sorry kid, you're ridin' in style t'night! Jus' tell me which way to go yeah?"

"TH... You're going too fast for that you need to slow down..!!"

"Slowin' down means stoppin!"

"Then stop for a minute, stop for a minute..!!"

Jonouchi did just that.

"Er...you alrigh' Mokuba..?"

Mokuba seemed a little green in the face, but otherwise somewhat alright. "Y...yeah. I'm just..." Deep breaths. He took deep breaths, leaning against the stairwell tower of the building whose roof they'd landed upon. "I guess... ...I'm just tired." He couldn't say scared, after all. He couldn't.

Silence settled between the two- Jonouchi evidently more than willing to give Mokuba his space and quiet.

Eventually- "...So...brother, huh? ...Not a fan of your folks?" he added, clarifying when Mokuba stared blankly back. "...Parents, I mean."

When the boy turned his head away, he grimaced.

"...Gotcha. ....shit," he breathed. "...no wonder..."

"You...really don't have any idea who I am, do you?"

Jonouchi blinked, staring as Mokuba studied him.

"You're...you're actually serious about just bringing me back to my house...about just...getting me there, without anything in return..."

Silence.

"... _Why_?"

"...'S th' right thing to do, ain't it?" Jonouchi's words left the boy paralyzed, and with a stretch he moved to pick him up again. "C'mon. There's someone waitin', righ'?"

Mokuba swallowed. And quietly- "...You can just take me to KaibaCorp, instead," he ultimately told him. "...Niisama pretty much lives there anyway."

...

If he had anything to drop, he'd have done that. "Y'. ...What." Mokuba grimaced- but before a bitter remark could pass his lips he gasped, Jonouchi instead removing his goggles and then his mask in a slow motion. "You...You're _HIS_ brother?!"

Now the boy was just scowling. "So you know 'Seto Kaiba', but not about his brother? Typical..." he muttered, only to narrow his eyes confusedly when Jonouchi began to sputter.

"Typical?! Kid, do you even know who told me where y' were!?"

Well, that got his attention. "...you... ...You got a tip from..."

"Yeah! I went in t' get ready for patrol like usual, and he told me there was a likely kidnappin' in the area!"

Mokuba looked ready to cry. Or faint. Or...something. It was too much- did his brother care? Did his brother not care?

Jonouchi for his part was just baffled. "I mean...Shit! He's th' reason 'Spiderman' can even be a thing y'know!"

"Y- Niisama is..!?"

"What, you thought I made this web stuff!?"

That was a fair point, and he'd only known him for perhaps half an hour.

Jonouchi replaced his mask, still shaking his head. "Shit...well, KaibaCorp makes this pretty easy anyway- c'mon Mokuba, let's get you home."

There was no argument. Mokuba just nodded, and despite the upcoming vertigo and terror, flew along in Jonouchi's grip in silence. No detours- straight to the tower, straight up the lift, and straight to Seto Kaiba's office. And then-

"Mokuba."

It wasn't quite the reaction Jonouchi expected.

Maybe it was the reaction Mokuba did. "N...Niisama..."

"Step out of the room for a minute, Mokuba. The 'spider' and I need to have a talk."

Mokuba did so without argument.

Before Kaiba even spoke again, Jonouchi was already taking his goggles and mask off to stare at the CEO with incredulity. "Jonouchi. Thank you for bringing him back."

"Ah... _What_?" Jonouchi choked, shaking his head. "You- You were th' one who told me where he was! You knew th' whole time your brother was the one there, you-" The blond's incredulous gaze intensified, and his eyes widened. "....Do you even... _Care_ righ' now?"

Kaiba seemed impassive. Perhaps there was a mix of emotions behind the cold gaze- a part of him that was relieved. A part that was inconvenienced. 

The latter seemed to be more visible, and his hands were folded together like shark's teeth in a mouth. "I had full confidence in your abilities Jonouchi- are you telling me you didn't?"

Jonouchi blinked. And choked again. "...Dude that's your brother," he whispered, shaking his head.

"And he's alive, despite being foolish enough to be kidnapped in the first place. I'll be talking to him to keep him from causing this sort of incident again, for that matter."

"Ar- THAT'S YOUR ANSWER?" he shouted, shaking his head. "Shit...SHIT no wonder- Hell I thought he was surprised about you coughin' up a ransom, but it's more than tha', isn't it! I've seen you here how many nights, for how long..?" Jonouchi gave a miserable laugh, one caught between forced and pained. "I bet this' the first time you've seen 'm in th' last month an' a bit, isn' it!"

Kaiba gave no response, simply staring with a flat and impassive gaze. "Are you finished?"

He wanted to believe he cared. He wanted to believe so badly that this person cared, that it was a front, that it was nothing.

Mokuba's look of shock was haunting though, and the dejection on his face when he'd been sent from the room was worse.

"I'm out."

That got a response.

" _What_."

"You heard me! I'm out! I don't know if y' remember Kaiba, but there was a reason I was doin' this before y' started talkin about suits an' shit! I wanted t' help people- I wanted t' help people because it's right, because I _cared_! And man, when I can' tell if _you_ care..." He shook his head, voice cracking. "You are so...So god damn _lucky_ , do you even realize tha'? That kid calls you _niisama_ \- he gives you one look, you can _tell_ he means it..! An' you could see him any time of th' day you wanted, jus' one call! Do you have any idea what I'd give, to so much as live in th' same city as my sister?" Jonouchi choked. "What I'd give just t' see her _ONCE_ even if she decided she hates me after tha'?"

Kaiba was standing up. "You're making a mistake Jonouchi..."

"Yeah well so're you! Y' should spend more time with y'r brother, yah icicle! But I'm-"

"Don't!"

Both Kaiba and Jonouchi froze, turning to the door as Mokuba poked his head in.

"M...Mokuba..."

"Mokuba. ...You were listening," Kaiba observed- not a question, but a statement.

The boy swallowed. "Jonouchi...right? ...Niisama's just busy," he insisted. "But...he has a good heart- he really does!" he emphasized, and Jonouchi couldn't help but feel that the boy was _desperate_ in his attempts to convey the idea. "That's why he's remaking KaibaCorp the way he is...that's why..." He struggled for words for a moment, but they gave him time. One because he meant it. One...

Because he knew what would come next.

"Just...don't go, okay..? Even if you think my brother doesn't care..if it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't be here, and neither would a lot of other people..! So please..!"

Jonouchi rubbed the back of his head- but ultimately, he relented. "...Alrigh'," he caved, still scowling. "...Alrigh, I'll keep at it..." He looked to the boy's elder brother with a fierce glare however, fists clenched. "But you better put some damn effort int' spendin time w' your brother!" he added with an accusing point, replacing the mask as he stalked off. He didn't wait for an answer.

The most he could do after all, was hope.

Occasionally though, he'd see Mokuba at the testing room and hope that meant his words were taken to heart.


	8. Chapter 8

"Jonouchi-kun, do you want to go to the arcade today?"

Jonouchi hadn't been around much, lately.

"Ehhh...sorry Yug', been a bit busy..."

Honda assumed it was a part-time job. Jonouchi often picked those up to help with his dad's debts- and more importantly, his own highschool fees. Anzu, busy with her own Secret Job, decided that made the most sense. After all, Jonouchi had permission. He could have easily found himself without any available free time as a result.

But Yugi couldn't help but feel that something was wrong, and his blackouts weren't helping. He didn't even know if he was still having them, frankly. These days, as much as he was awake enough to do his schoolwork and such, he pretty much went home, did something for an hour, and went to bed to collapse.

It was like instead of sleeping, he was running track, but that couldn't be right could it?

It made him miss when he _had_ the energy to do more. When he had the energy to cheerfully ask people over, and that was why for the last few times he tried. But...

"Oh...it must be a really intense job, huh..." Yugi laughed quietly, Jonouchi gaining a somewhat anxious look in reply.

"Y-Yeah! 'S a lot more than I figured haha..."

...

Yugi followed Jonouchi from school that day.

It was hard. It was almost as if Jonouchi realized he was being followed, and he had to duck behind a lot- ultimately, he wondered if he'd even been caught a few times. But after holding his breath and counting the seconds down until he wasn't found, he continued on.

And saw Jonouchi get into a car with Seto Kaiba.

It hurt.

It hurt, it hurt, it _hurt_ , and for a moment his vision swam and he thought his eyes would close over for good.

But he thought to himself- 'I'll ask him'.

And so he didn't pass out until he went home.

...The papers...

There was a lot about heroes in the paper these days.

This time apparently, 'Spiderman' was spotted with another hero in gold; they were calling him 'Scarab', for the Japanese beetle. 'After all,' the article noted, 'If one is allied with the Spiderman...'

Why was he reading this...

He put the paper down. He went to school.

And when they were alone he asked. "Jonouchi. After school..."

"Ah...geeze, Yug', I-"

"...Why did you get into a car with Kaiba-kun?"

Jonouchi paled immediately, and Yugi hoped that he didn't regret this conversation.


	9. Chapter 9

He regretted everything he said that morning.

"AAaaaaauuuuggghhh..." Jonouchi held his head the entire way to the meeting place with Kaiba- because of course he couldn't just skip out, it wasn't something he could Ever skip out at this point, and frankly it felt a bit like hanging out was doing the ice-prick some good. But trying to explain to Yugi why he had to visit with Kaiba instead of with Yugi, while maintaining that Yugi was his best friend, not Kaiba, _without_ mentioning Spiderman or anything related, was...

He got in the car, and pretended nothing was wrong.

At least until they got to the Room. "You're going to enjoy tonight I think," Kaiba told him, and when Kaiba said 'I think' that was code for 'you will', and he knew it. To be fair, Kaiba was probably _right_. "Take a look inside that box."

"Box..?" Just as he said it, he saw it, and so he moved to open it- all while quietly wondering what to do about Earlier. The box was opened...and he nearly dropped the lid. "Holy-" He stared. Looked to Kaiba, and then back- "...Already!? It's been what, two months!?"

Kaiba simply smirked- "Naturally. It was only ever a matter of bringing a vision to reality after all- child's play."

Jonouchi, ever used to Kaiba's smug attitude by this point, simply held the suit with absolute glee.

Only for the glee to fail.

"Hey...Kaiba?" ... "Y' remember when we first met? ...Like, kinda met?" The air felt cold.

Jonouchi continued.

"...m' friend Yugi... ...he doesn' know _why_ but... ...he saw me gettin' in yer car the other day, and he's all worried an' askin' questions, an' I-"

"He can take a few lies, Jonouchi. Unless you want to find your face on a pedestal you can't afford to have marred, I suggest you trust me on that."

Jonouchi stiffened, and turned. "What, you figure he'll spill if I say anythin' then? Man, you don't even know the guy!"

"I know enough."

"Bullshit!"

"Is it?"

There was something about Kaiba's tone.

Something cold, dreadful, as dark as the aura surrounding the criminals he tied up in webs.

"...What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean your friend isn't everything he seems, Jonouchi."

He put the suit down. Perhaps more accurately threw it, but Kaiba didn't seem to care. Or notice, perhaps. His eyes were instead looking into the distance if anything, a set scowl upon his face. "Hey how about y' give me a straight answer when we're talkin' about my best friend, instead of dancin' around it if it's so important, moneybags! 'Cause I guarantee you're gonna end up wrong!"

There was a twitch. And then he stood. "Then you're as blind as you are _stupid_. Yugi may _seem_ like a weak, pacifistic jar of sunshine to you," Kaiba spat, "But believe me when I say he is capable of far worse than you could _ever_ imagine...I'd even dare to say he's a better liar than my board of directors," he continued.

It was such a precise accusation, that Jonouchi could do little more than snarl on the spot. "That what you think then?" he finally said. "You think he's some kinda two-face? Pullin' shit behind my back, that it?"

"I'd bet on it," Kaiba replied.

Jonouchi's answer was to growl and turn. "Well you c'n keep that bet! I'm gonna prove it no matter what's riding on it, y' hear me?"

Kaiba did not answer.

But he did watch, silent, when Jonouchi doubled back after making it ten feet so that he could grab the suit.

"...Still takin this by the way!" It wasn't as if this was the End, after all.

And from there Jonouchi stormed out, suit stuffed in a bag as he went, and the doors to the elevator lift whooshing shut. And Kaiba...

Slowly, slowly...

_ Grinned. _

' **Got you**.'


	10. Chapter 10

The suit was everything they'd hoped for it. Lightweight without being too cold or hot- breathable, but at the very least waterproof as he discovered going under a particularly leaky area of the city. There was even some kind of 'focus' feature that worked with his eye movements- the wide lenses would narrow and 'squint', or even _widen_ according to how his eyes, helping the motion along. 

And naturally, combined with the webbing, it was way better than running around in goggles and a mask. His hoodie jacket was still on right now- the hood was down, and the sweater was open, but he'd figured it best to not confuse whoever was writing those papers Too too much.

Then again, who would think there were _two_ guys with spider webbing, right?

Jonouchi swung. He swung, and sought out his friend's house, ready to watch from afar.

...

His window was open.

"The hell..?"

His window was open, but all of Yugi's things- even his school uniform- were in the room.

"The _hell_..?"

Soooo....Yugi wasn't home. Whatever. He'd prove Kaiba wrong some other day then. For now, he'd do the rest of his patrol. Swing around the streets, canvas all the haunts. Web up all the-

' _Would you like to play a game?'_

That wasn't Yugi's voice, but he almost swore it was. Jonouchi crawled silently and carefully along the wall of the building toward where he heard it, head tilting as he witnessed a short figure dressed primarily in gold stand before a man far larger than they. By the looks of things, they were part of one of the local gangs- nothing so high tier as Yakuza, of course...just the dirt off the street, like the sort he was webbing up as of late. But this...

It was his first question that had him only watch, at least for a moment.

"You looking to die, punk? Coming here dressed like that, talking about games...you've got a lot of guts, huh?"

The chuckle sent shudders down his spine. 

"It's more than I can say for you, isn't it? And it won't be anything complicated...why...if you win, you not only get my wallet, but a little extra..." The thug looked confused.

But he also looked greedy. "How do we play?" he asked, and the air itself seemed to stir.

"Simple- all that we need is right around us now...your knife. That rope. And the lamp above us."

He didn't like the looks of the game.

He didn't like the sounds of what he was hearing either.

And just as the one in the mask was halfway through saying 'Game Start'-

- _PSWTT PSHWWT_!-

Webbing for the blade, before it could be released like a pendulum between the two.

Webbing for the thug, so he could be found by whoever would care enough to handle it. And...

- _PSWHT!_ -

"NH-!"

Webbing for the one in the mask, as Jonouchi landed to the ground.

"Tch...That's some kinda over-confident!" he remarked, stalking toward them. "The hell you playin' at, something like that?"

Jonouchi stilled as he approached, the one before him narrowing violet-red eyes. From what bits of hair he could see poking from under the bandanna he could see red, black, gold... "Y- Jonou-" They quickly swallowed, still fuming. "...You... ...untie me!"

...

"Yugi..?"

'Yugi' didn't answer. Not to do anything except flinch, before doubling down on their demands. "'Spiderman', isn't it?" he corrected. "...Untie me..! I'm not a criminal, like the scum you chase!"

Jonouchi stared. Stared, and slowly made his decision.

"...Yug'...."

...

"...I don' think I can do that."


	11. Chapter 11

He hissed for him to let him go for the first number of minutes, before going quiet. Ultimately he gave up on hiding his identity of course- he'd made it clear he knew who he was after all. 'Jonouchi!' he insisted, 'You don't understand everything- just let me explain-'

He didn't need an explanation, for why he was about to swing a knife around.

'Jonouchi- if this is about the Shadow Games,'

Look he really couldn't care less about what kind of games they were, he wasn't Yugi!

'...of course I'm...'

Yugi went quiet, and soon enough he was running for the door he'd been told to use when coming back from any patrols and rushing down the lift with 'luggage' under arm.

"Jonouchi," Kaiba was already remarking from his seat there- and didn't this just save time, with that guy working from the basement- "Back so soon? You must have found _something_ int-"

"You were right."

The words came so quickly that Kaiba wasn't actually sure he heard them.

He tried to play along, despite somehow feeling surprised. "Obviously."

"No, I'm serious dude, somethin' ain't right. It's like...It's like he's Yugi, but he's a differen' Yugi, an' he was all set to do some weird spinning knife game and Imight'vewebbed'mupandbrought'mhere!"

....

"You _what_."

"Look I... I didn' know what to do Kaiba! It was freakin' me out you didn't hear him, but you obviously knew somethin' SOMEHOW so-"

" _Where_ is he?"

Jonouchi coughed, mask off and stashed in a pocket. He scratched his head. "I uh... ...left 'm in the hall..."

Kaiba was running past him before he could even shout. Jonouchi, suffice to say, followed. "O-OI!! Kaiba..!"

"When I imply someone is _dangerous_ , that doesn't mean you bring them into my workplace _idiot_ , what did you think was going to happen from here?"

"Look I don' know, I just said that! I-"

" _Yugi_..."

Kaiba turned around the corner to find Yugi where he'd been left- stuck to a chair, bound twice over now that there was webbing over top of webbing. Jonouchi turned the corner to see the two staring at the other, Yugi's mask since removed and leaving it plain to see that his eyes were widening in alarm. And then...

Something 'twanged' against his senses somehow, something...strange, wrong, something...

Yugi blinked.

"H...huh..? ...Kaiba-kun..? Jonouch..." 

Yugi blinked, looked down, and shouted.

"Wh- What on earth..!? What's going on!?"

Well this was great. "Yugi-"

"Hiding, are we?" Kaiba seemed unphased by the shift, and Jonouchi stiffened as he realized to what extent that attitude went. "Yugi...your _friend_ holds you in high esteem. What a shame your true nature had to come forward this way..." he chuckled, a smirk coming upon his face while horror for varied reasons came over the others. Yugi was paralyzed- whether by confusion or fear, who knew.

Jonouchi was almost just as.

"Oi...Kaiba what the hell are you doing..."

There was a click.

There was a gun, and Jonouchi yelped. "OI-!"

He yelped and stared at his wrists in shock as nothing came out. "Jonouchi. I designed and constructed the devices around your wrists with my bare _hands_...do you really think I would let my weapons be turned against me?"

There was no answer as Jonouchi instead gave a roaring shout, stepping forward to jump-

And only stepping forward, before his shout became a yelp of pain as he collapsed. "NHHh- HHHRR _AAAAAGGH_ -!"

"J-Jonouchi-kun!"

"As I said," Kaiba chuckled, tone colder than anything Jonouchi had ever heard from him in the past. It was close...close to what he heard when he first brought up Yugi. Close to even what he heard when they first 'met'.

But this was far worse.

"Did you think I would let my weapons be turned against me..?"

"Gkh....Callin' me your 'weapon' now?! Here I thought we were friends..!"

"Please..." Kaiba's eyes did not move away from Yugi.

They hadn't moved the entire time. "K...Kaiba-k..."

"Friends...are only a weakness."

The gun pointed to Jonouchi.

A shudder passed through the air.


	12. Chapter 12

"What do you want from him, Kaiba!"

Ah.

That was the other Yugi, he idly identified from where shocks wracked his body. Everything felt hot, he was idly noting. Hot, hotter, and hotter, and it made his head swim, and their words literally warble in his ears. Like a failing phone underwater or through a fading signal, except they were still _there_.

"From him? Nothing. He has his purpose- but from _you_..."

Yugi's webbing was dissolving. Kaiba had thrown...something at it, some kind of small canister that made him flinch, but their voices were already difficult to hear. 'Do you remember,' Kaiba was saying, 'What happened that night? The 'penalty' you delivered, as it were...'

'I remember,' was Yugi's reply. 'And I see you haven't learned.'

'I learned Plenty.'

Jonouchi's hand twitched. He forced himself to take in a shuddering breath and attempted to move more than just an arm, but even getting his hand to reach along the floor was a feat in itself. A feat enough that Kaiba hadn't even bothered moving from where he held the gun.

'Perhaps you need to learn yourself. Come with me, Yugi. I've been preparing a very unique arena for this moment...and while it might be early,' Kaiba was saying, distant, faded, yet thundering thundering thundering-

"I'm sure it will suffice for now."

"Very well," was Yugi's reply. "But you let Jonouchi go!"

...

Why did he still care...

"After the duel. I know his limits," Kaiba announced, and somehow the words stung just as much as everything else. "He can handle an hour of paralysis and shock."

Yugi shouted. Jonouchi didn't hear.

He'd closed his eyes, and closed out the sound.

When he opened them they were walking away. Walking to the lift. Walking...

He shut his eyes, and the world disappeared.

He opened them and the world was _too much_. The pulsing electricity holding him in place _because of course the guy he trusted was just as terrible as when they first met_ , of course he was waiting to turn around and flip the switch, of course-!

_And yet somehow that hurt just as much as this!_ The hours spent talking to the other, the time spent testing web fluid, pieces of suit, strength, powers, everything..!

He'd thought...

He closed his eyes and shut out the world and the pain disappeared while the heat held him like a blanket. As if closing himself away from everything, every sensation his overactive 'sense' could take, and simply...being.

...

Yugi was Two Yugis.

One was the one he knew. The other...it seemed he also knew them. 

He opened his eyes. The pain was suffocating.

He closed them...

He knew both Yugis, and even when questioned, the second one still trusted him enough to simply come along and sit. Trusted him until Kaiba had rounded the corner and forced him to retreat, but returned anyway when _his_ was the life that was threatened.

Open.

_ Hot hot hotter and hotter _

Closed.

Yugi was in trouble. But Yugi was a master at games, and somehow he knew that if he stayed there, if he simply waited, Yugi would win.

Open...

_ Suffocating suffocating and it felt as if he were going to melt out of the suit and out of his own skin _

Close...

Yugi wasn't in trouble.

...

Kaiba...

"Kh..."

Hot. Hot, hot, everything felt hot, and Jonouchi grasped at the sensation from the darkness of the shut-down sensations, a firebrand tight within his hands. He held onto it and focused upon it, upon the drowning heat as he opened his eyes to the Dark. To the heat that ran through the building itself, to the heat radiating around himself now as he breathed. Hot, hot, hotter, _hotter_ -

"KHhh...HHhhhhggaaaah...." And further and further, and Jonouchi began to slowly pull himself forward. Pull himself upward- first a crawl, and then a stumbling walk, his body falling against the walls as he moved. "Hahhh...HhhaaaAAHHhhhhh..." And still he focused, as steam came from his very sweat, and finally-

- _Fzzt_ -

His eyes saw colour again.

"HHAaAAahhh...hahhhh..." It felt as though the shocks were gone. The hold on the heat was released like a balloon, streaking through the air as his desperate breaths did while he doubled over. The suit was still the suit, but maybe...something had shorted it? He didn't know. He didn't _have_ to know.

What he needed to do was...

"Khh...Y...Yugi," he wheezed, forcing himself toward the lift. There was no telling where those two had gone...

But he had a sense about it, and that was enough for him.


	13. Chapter 13

They were dueling. He took the lift up but only to a point, sticking to the walls and then to the ceilings as he stalked forward- just in case. Just in case someone came.

But no one did and no one would, because this floor wasn't for just _anyone_ to wander.

He took the lift up and then started his climb, traversing the halls and following sheer instinct until he came out and landed silently into a large chamber from the ceiling itself.

The room they were in was massive, but the table itself was no larger than a school desk or two. Just enough room for two card fields and a battle between, and it had most certainly already begun. Dragons of white flew behind Kaiba, and paltry defenses shielded Yugi from them all. Time was short.

But not for Yugi, and Jonouchi's mind whirled. He needed something. He needed anything and he squeezed his eyes shut and-

_ And he could feel heat Everywhere if he focused, and thought of it, and _

He opened his eyes to the dark, the dark marred by specs of warmth. Yugi and Kaiba, at the table.

And the electricity flowing through the room. The soft hum, carrying energy and precious heat throughout, and Jonouchi's eyes followed them. Not to the table though- he couldn't get to the table, not right now...from above, perhaps.

He needed them to stop after all. He needed them to...

There were spare cables on the ground, dead and inert and unplugged. Another form of rope, familiar in size and weight and length alike.

There were plastic coils next to them, emptied of their cargo, holes for carrying easily re-purposed as loops. Easily tied to, becoming the weights on the ends.

Judgeman was on the field.

A familiar tool was in his hands, and maskless his red eyes scanned along the walls and along the ceiling. Cut the heat. Cut the light he told himself, and somehow he knew how as he held his hand before him and beheld something blinding where his palms should have been.

He squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened them he saw everything again, hidden to the side from where Kaiba and Yugi dueled in silence. Where Yugi's Dark Magician destroyed Kaiba's monster, and where it was Kaiba's turn again. Jonouchi swallowed, and quietly climbed toward where he'd seen the heat within the wires...

And he focused, placing palms that were still hot, hotter and hotter over the encased wires on the ceiling. A third Blue Eyes was summoned to the field. The third Blue Eyes was destroying the Dark Magician, and the last of Yugi's defenses, swords and all, were fading. Light was fading. Fading...fading...

"Hhhh...hhhkkk....gh..!"

And then _all_ the light was gone.

"What the _hell_ -!" Hah.

Funny, he thought as he clambered along the ceiling, his friends below clear as day for his eyes.

He'd never heard Kaiba swear before.

The holograms were still on the field.

Yugi had yet to draw for his turn because just as the turn came the lights were out and _how did that happen who did that it didn't make sense_ -

Yugi had yet to draw and with an ear-splitting cry from above both his and Kaiba's attentions were no longer on the duel. "HHHAAAAAHHHH...! _HU-H_!"

Instead, two cables were swung and then thrown- one looping around the other, wrapping around until it bound each to their chair. His feet touched down on the table and as he hopped off he pulled the bonds tight, wrapping them around his hands and standing firm.

Yugi was silent. Staring, eyes wide, mouth hanging open.

Kaiba was doing the same, for at least half a second. "Y...You...what do you think you're-"

"Shut up!"

To their shock, Kaiba did that.

"Both of y'... ...I don't know what the hell happened between y'...hell, given that stupid knife trick you tried pullin before Yug', I don' know if I wanna know! But I ain't lettin either of you try a repeat! Not when you've got another you to worry about," he began, snarling to Yugi through the shadows, "And not when you've got yourself...and a brother for that matter!" he added, Kaiba doing quite well to remain impassive with regard to both matters.

Yugi, almost predictably, turned. "....You have a brother?"

Kaiba didn't answer, but Jonouchi did. "Yeah! Cute kid, bit of a brat at times but he means well!" It looked as if Kaiba was about to say something- but since it didn't seem to be good, Jonouchi gave the cable a tug. "That ain't th' point tho'. Kaiba... What you said back there..." He studied the other for just a moment, in the dark. An expression of rage and perhaps humiliation even. A confusion and an exhaustion clinging to the emotions at the eyes, and a shadow reaching ever deeper. "...I don't believe it."

"Y...You...what?" Yugi's surprise was expected, as was Kaiba's- for even he couldn't remain speechless in the face of such absurdity.

"You don't believe it? Are you somehow an even bigger idiot than I thought?"

Jonouchi rolled his eyes. "Y' don't even know what I'm sayin' I didn' believe, you can't just call me an idiot right off! An' that's just provin' me right, _idiot_!" As Kaiba's expression soured further into confused disgust Jonouchi smirked and pressed on. "What you said about friends...What would the point in that be then, huh? End of th' day, all you've been doin' is helpin me after all. Webbin', suit'...if yer idea of 'usin' me was clearin the streets of shitheads then heck, great job makin it easier for me to do what I wanted, but that ain' usin' someone Kaiba...That's workin' t'gether!" he roared. "You can deny that all y' want, but end of the day, you're my friend! There's a reason I ain't doin worse than this after y' held a gun t' me!" And...

He looked to Yugi- Yugi, who looked unsure. Not quite betrayed, but unsure, wondering what that meant.

"...Jus' as much as you are, Yugi." And to that, he looked up. "Yug'...I'm sorry I lied- ...lied t' the other you, anyway. Maybe this version of y' gets that, but it's important he know too. Important that he know about all 'f this," Jonouchi added with a nod. "I don't know how long you've been doin' your thing...hell for all I know it's been since y' put that puzzle thing t'gether," he added, idly noting that Yugi's bag was gone, and the puzzle was around his neck. He wondered... "...But if that's true... ...Y' can't just treat everyone like the monkeys Hirutani had around 'm. We're better than that, y'hear? Throwin' our weight around when it ain't even hard... ...we do that we're not even as good as he was! An' more than that...if you've been runnin' around makin games like that...Do y' _really_ think yer other self would want that?"

Yugi was struck dumb. Blinking emptily, Kaiba watching almost curiously at the sight as though trying to understand something that had been right in front of him. There might have been something else in his eyes as well- some sort of fear as he looked to the one imprisoning them both. But the cables were still tightly binding them to the chairs, so instead he growled. "Is that what you interrupted our duel for? To throw speeches at us, like children? You could have at least waited a little longer, to see the end of the match..."

Jonouchi just tilted his head. "End 'f the match huh? An' watch what? You do whatever it is that was gonna 'get back' at 'm for somethin' he did? Him do somethin' _else_ to work you up?" At that, Yugi looked somehow sheepish, as if he'd been caught sticking his hand in a cookie jar instead of contemplating a proper magical punishment for someone. Kaiba, while _apparently_ unaffected, lapsed into a telling silence that had Jonouchi fairly certain he'd 'won'.

He then looked at Yugi's deck, and with flexibility only he seemed capable of for the moment, slapped his foot down upon it to pull back the next draw he'd have made- and without even allowing Yugi a glance, shoved his foot in Kaiba's face.

" _JONOUCHI_...!"

"AWWW Just look't th' card an' tell me if I'm wrong!"

Kaiba scowled- but did just that. Narrowing his eyes at it, and then looking across at Yugi himself.

Rather, at the hand which had spilled on the table when they were both bound. In the dim light of the hologram table, that which hadn't been blacked out by the above, the answer was clear.

And Kaiba _stewed_.

With a sigh Jonouchi shook the card off, bringing his foot back and continuing his hold on the cables. "Look...I ain't askin' you both to 'like' the other. Like I said...I definitely missed _somethin_...but if you think I'm gonna let y' both pull this shit instead of at least talkin to the other instead, y' got another thing comin..!"

Silence.

More silence. And...

"...I...can make an oath to do so," Yugi finally relented.

"AWRIGHT! One down! And?" Jonouchi looked to Kaiba, who frankly looked disgusted with the idea of being second- even if it was for agreeing with something he didn't want to even consider. Jonouchi frowned. "Look, 'f y' don't want me around anymore, I understand- I'll even return this thing, much as I probably jus' broke the damn thing. I'll jus' go back t' ropes an sweatpants, an'-"

"We'll _talk_ ," Kaiba growled, Jonouchi again grinning smugly. "For all the good that it'll do...and you can LET US GO NOW, Jonouchi..!"

There was nothing but harsh giggling in reply, but Jonouchi nonetheless dropped the cables and allowed the two to struggle their way out. Kaiba ultimately, made it first- and looked rather pleased about it as well. There was still that seeming chill in his eyes however, a chill that Jonouchi tried his very best to ignore.

"Heh...Great! So. Back t' the test room?" Jonouchi asked, only to blink dumbly as the lights somehow came back on. "Huh..."

"Ahh...the back up lights," Kaiba muttered, momentarily pulled from his flurry of emotions.

"But why wouldn't those come on earlier?" Yugi asked, only now managing to get out of his cables.

"They're manual."

All three immediately turned to the door, where two men in suits flanked a small boy in a striped shirt.

"Heh! I was wondering when you'd all be done!"

Mokuba was probably grounded, Jonouchi found himself thinking. But, he probably thought it worth it in the end.


	14. Chapter 14

Seto Kaiba was missing.

Jonouchi found that out day one- after he left Yugi and Seto to (presumably) talk things out, and from there watched one leave and walked with the other home.

The other, who had now swapped back with his original self.

"I... ...Remembered," was all he had said initially, and Jonouchi frankly had sighed in relief. "Jonouchi-kun...is he really...Are _you_ really..?"

Jonouchi clapped his friend's shoulder and beamed, shaking his head. "Tell y' what...we can talk on th' way home. I'm beat..."

Yugi had nodded, and beamed. "Right."

But while they talked and came to their understandings and vowed to find some time to properly spend together beyond the patrols and such, the next evening made things rather obvious. Jonouchi waited at his meeting point, Yugi at his side and...

Well. Kaiba wasn't _late_ , so.

"Do you think it's because..." Because 'he' was there?

Jonouchi immediately shook his head. "Nah....nah, tha' wouldn't be it right? It..."

' _Hey! You read me?_ '

"NYh-!"

Jonouchi jumped, and Yugi stared. "Ah...Jonouchi-kun?"

The blond shook, but then dug around in his back for his mask, staring at it.

' _Helloooo...? Jonouchi? Can you hear me?'_

They stared. "...Should you...put it on..?"

"Uhhhh..." Jonouchi blinked, but slowly nodded. "...Cover for me," he told the other, ducking behind a dumpster.

From there he pulled the mask over his head, frowning. 'Ugh...Come on, hurry up and ans-'

"...M...Mokuba?" It...sounded a bit like-

_'Oh! Finally_!' he breathed, voice coming through the mask clearly. _'I'd figured you would have the suit with you but I didn't think it'd take this long...'_

For...Him to put it on..? "Oi, Mokuba...where's yer brother?"

' _Niisama? Oh. He... ...Sort of vanished? I mean, he didn't leave any messages, but_ I _found out that some power was turned on at one of our private locations, so he's definitely there. He probably wanted some time to himself after...yesterday.'_

Jonouchi scowled. "What, he couldn' take a few words?"

' _Ehhhh....something like that._ ' Realistically, Kaiba had more likely just remembered that the one whose suit he tried to control had fried the suit controls, and could squash him like an egg if he tried.

One evening of talking would not ease the burning anger that Kaiba had for Yugi's other self. Mokuba wasn't telling him that though.

Oblivious to this however, Jonouchi just rolled his eyes. "Man...well what th' hell 'm I gonna do for now then, I might have 'nough web fluid for t'night, but I sure can't last however long he's gonna be gone if he vanished like that..!"

' _Hahaha! Figured out he's not coming back after a day or so huh?_ ' Mokuba laughed, receiving only frustration for his efforts.

"NHHH...Th's serious tho'!"

' _Relaaaaaax! Why do you think I'm calling you huh?_ '

....

That was a good point. Not that he expected this to happen with the suit (though it made enough sense that he wasn't commenting), but why would Mokuba bother unless...

"O...Oi...Are you sayin'..."

' _Hehee~ Exactly! He didn't exactly leave instructions...but he DID leave the door suspiciously under-guarded enough for me to hack my way in, so now that I've reconfigured all the codes and stuff, it's pretty obvious I was supposed to keep things going while he left. And besides, it's super cool! Did you know you have CAMERAS in your eye lenses? I can see everything you're seeing, right now!_ '

Wh- wh- "O-OI!!! Are you serious!?"

' _Heheeeee yep~ Good thing you're not the type to wear this thing in the shower or something..._ '

"Don' even joke about that, tha's nasty..! An' what else is in this thing that I don' know about!?"

' _Well...there was that shock system that niisama put in obviously- you fried that, and I don't plan on_ ever _fixing it, sooooo you're good there._..'

"Jonouchi-kun?" Yugi called from the side, half whispering. "...Are you alright over there?"

"Uh-" Jonouchi coughed. "Uhh...yeah, turns out there's some kinda phone in here or...or somethin'..."

"...Should we maybe keep talking about this somewhere else then..?" That was a good point.

' _Mh? Is that Yugi?_ '

"Kh- How good is yer dang hearing through this thing!!"

' _Well a camera only does so much Jonouchi..! How's anyone on my end supposed to tell you anything if they can't hear you?_ '

...Alright fair.

"Sheesh...well anyway, it's kinda weird just talkin' t' you in an' alley...it alrigh' if we come t' you?"

' _For now I guess...better get used to this though_ ,' Mokuba laughed. ' _From now on, the minute patrol time starts, I'm gonna be on the other end! If I'm not, assume I'm dead, haha!_ '

"O-OII!!!"

...

They got there by bus, after Jonouchi hid the mask away. It was easy enough for him to get to the doors, particularly as Mokuba was opening them as they went.

Once they got down there, the explanation continued-

"Oh...Yugi's here too huh?" Mokuba regarded the boy with quiet suspicion as Yugi held up his hands, shaking his head.

"I'm...not here for anything, other than being with Jonouchi...I don't think the Other-Me is interested in any 'suits' either, if that helps..."

"Well, I sure wasn't going to try making him one..."

"Oiii..." Jonouchi laughed, waving. "...We gonna finish up w' you explainin this thing..?"

Mokuba turned. "Oh yeah, right. ...So obviously you know about the communications already- but a lot of this thing isn't really...finished?" At Jonouchi's gaping look, he quickly continued. "The important things are, don't worry about that!! I just mean there's a lot of stuff niisama seems to be working on adding- like...glide wings, that kind of stuff."

The boy rolled his eyes as Jonouchi excitedly mouthed 'glide wings' to Yugi, who merely smiled wryly in return. "Well...what kinds of things does Jonouchi-kun's suit have right now then..?" he asked, the younger of the three continuing.

"I was getting to that...first off, it's bullet proof- which is probably why niisama was waving a gun around by the way, he might be a jerk at times, but he's not a _murderer_ ," he insisted, the other two rubbing the backs of their heads. "It's also got a hidden belt for storage; so if you run out of any web fluid, there'll be some spare cartridges in there. It's waterproof, temperature regulating..." He started counting things down on his fingers as he went, his 'audience' merely staring. "You've already figured out about the vacuum seal to pull it on and off, but it _also_ keeps track of your vitals! So if you need a doctor, I'm going to know," Mokuba grinned.

"Oiii, I'm already durable enough ain't I..."

"...Yeah, not enough to be invincible," the boy snickered, continuing on. "Anyway...there's also the adjusting lenses, and...some extra options for the shooters." He looked up from the screen. "You could probably play around with that later? It doesn't affect anything you already do- it just means that if you start tapping the release real fast, you'll be able to launch webs in shorter blasts. Like little goo shots," he added, beaming.

"Hohhhhhh..."

Yugi seemed to be in the same state of awe that Jonouchi was. "That's a lot... ...And Kaiba-kun really made all that..?" he breathed, Mokuba's grin only widening.

"Yep~ It pays to be friends with niisama..!"

"Ahaha... ...why do I feel like the Other Me would still refuse even then..."

Jonouchi laughed, blinking as something occurred to him. "Oh righ'...yer other self... ...I told 'm to cut out th' death games an' such, but does he still plan on goin' out there? I mean..."

The 'shrug' was not helping. "I'd tell him not to but...I think they might have been good for him, actually..." As the others gawked, he hurriedly continued. "Ahh...! Not that it was good what he was doing, but... ...Well, the Other Me was able to agree enough to let me remember everything right? I think... ....I think, he was just following your lead, Jonouchi-kun. ...I think he just wanted to feel like...like he was 'someone', instead of just another 'me'..."

It was difficult to decide what to say to that- eventually though, Jonouchi opted to nod and grin. "Heh...well. If he wants t' join in an' do it proper then, just lemme know yeah?" he laughed, ignoring Mokuba's questioning frown. "I mean, he might not be able t' stick t' walls or anythin'...but he obviously has some tricks up his sleeve right?"

"Ah- He's definitely got something..!" Yugi laughed in turn.

"Well, whatever he has it's going to have to be it for now," Mokuba reminded them. "Like I said- I'm not making anything, and I doubt niisama will want to when he gets back. So don't come crying to me when your thrift-store suit gets torn up..!" Oii oii...

The duo merely shook their heads, Jonouchi pulling his mask back on his head. "Yeah yeah...whatever works! ...Hey, if it's gonna be all radios an' shit from here on out tho', I got a question..."

"Mnh? ...Shoot. But you better get going after that, we're already after the time you'd normally be patrolling I'm pretty sure..." He wasn't, that was an excuse.

But hey. "If we're doin' this, does tha' mean I got that time I'd usually be comin' in here free?"

"Eh?" Mokuba blinked. "...Of course! What kind of question is that?" He grinned, laughing with a tone that made it sound more like a cackle. "Heheheee...half the reason I'm doing it this way is so I can do other stuff too you know~ I can keep track of all this from my phone if I want!" Oh, that simple!!

More importantly though, Yugi and Jonouchi slowly looked toward each other and grinned. "...Heh! Know what tha' means righ'?"

"We can finally hang out after classes again..!"

"YEAH!"

"...Jonouchi, the patrol..."

"...Right-!"

He'd miss having Kaiba around, but he would enjoy the extra free time...much as it was never a hard-set rule.


	15. Chapter 15

There was something strange about that guy from Egypt.

Jonouchi and Yugi stayed behind after a trip to the museum wound up involving the puzzle- now that they were entirely aware there was someone _connected_ to the thing after all, it was all the more worrying that someone could try to keep it. So the pair opted to wait around inside after the museum closed, gaining permission to hang out in the lobby- and, if necessary, go for the office itself.

But there was something strange about the guy from Egypt, and Jonouchi said as much.

"I dunno how t' describe it," he admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "He jus' sorta feels...off. Pings my senses weird, y'know?"

"Like a gut feeling?" Yugi asked.

Jonouchi shook his head. "Nah more like...a weird shiver down yer back- happens for other shit too, like when you an' th' Other Yugi swap around."

Yugi crossed his arms. "So... ...do you think he might have something to do with that kind of thing then?"

"Er.... ...how..?"

That was a good point. After all who even knew what the Other Yugi was. A ghost? Another form of Yugi, brought out from his wish on the puzzle? Magic???

Was magic real, holy shi-

"O-Oi...ain't that him?"

As Jonouchi stated as much, Yugi turned- the man momentarily paying them no mind. At least until he overheard what the two were saying- "Do you think he was talking to Kanekura-san..? If he's not in his office, we have to find him before I can get my puzzle back..."

"The puzzle?" The man was the one to speak- coming toward them with curious eyes.

"Er...yeah, th' pendant tha' was on display- Curator asked Yug' t' lend it for the day, so we've been waitin' for 'm t' come out..."

If the man was lying, he was very good at it Jonouchi noted. As it were he seemed nothing but intrigued, folding his hands over his front. A golden key gleamed from over his robes, and Jonouchi couldn't help but get an odd feeling from it. His eyes looked over it as his face twitched in discomfort-

But much like the lie, if he noticed, then the man did well to keep from showing it. "I was just speaking to him, yes," the man noted. "He mentioned that there was such an item on display...though he will be occupied for some time; you would do best to simply reclaim it off the case." Uh.

"Er...tha' ain't gonna get us in trouble is it..."

"Don't they have alarms for that sort of thing..?" Yugi added worriedly.

The Egyptian man shook his head. "It's quite alright; and it would be better for children such as yourselves to be allowed to go home, rather than be here with nothing to do for hours, wouldn't it?"

"Ch-children...?"

"A-Are we really that young looking...we're in highschool..."

Their response was merely a smile, and Jonouchi shook his head. "Eh, well- Yug', y' remember where it was right?"

"Yep- I'll be right back okay Jonouchi-kun?" Easy as pie then. As Jonouchi nodded, Yugi headed off toward the exhibit...

...And that was the last thing Jonouchi saw before everything went black.


	16. Chapter 16

It was dark and yet not dark. Light, yet not light. Somehow he had the awareness that something was pressed against his skull in that moment- something metal, and he was staring forward at the Egyptian man in a turban and cloak.

Yet there was also something else going on. Something...

' _What are you doing?_ '

His hand twitched. A bit of shock could be felt but it wasn't shown on the face of the one across from him. Dimly he could feel himself in two places at once. Somewhere that couldn't entirely be called dark, but was somehow impossible for him to put words to. Somewhere with...pictures...Memories, even...

He could feel the man try to touch something.

_ 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING?' _

His hand shook, and the sensation of fear could be felt. Stop, he thought to himself. Stop...stop...

ST-

"KhhhAUUUUHHH-hhh..."

"Jonouchi!" It was the Other Yugi speaking. Holding him by the shoulder as he gasped for breath. Jonouchi's eyes widened with awareness as he gasped for breath, the Egyptian standing not far from them in shock. "Jonouchi are you alri-"

He was interrupted by Jonouchi pointing rather accusingly at the man- or specifically, the key. "Th...THAT SHIT'S MESSED UP..!"

"...J...Jonouchi..?"

"Yug', you see what he was doin'..?"

Yugi looked to Jonouchi, and then to the man. And then back to Jonouchi. "...He had the key to your head. It seemed worrying, so I pushed you aside."

"Hn! Good thinkin' th- ...wai', why'd y' tackle _me_..."

"You're less likely to be injured."

"Wh..."

Across from them the man interrupted, reminding them of his presence. "You... ...You're entirely different..."

"Er..."

"...Am I?" Yugi replied challengingly, leaving his friend sorely tempted to hold his head in his hands.

"...Boy... ...'Yugi'," he corrected, coming toward them as Jonouchi narrowed his eyes. "...How did you come upon that puzzle?"

"...It was inherited," he answered honestly. "I...put it together earlier this year," he continued, watching as the Egyptian narrowed his eyes.

"...Your _other_ self did, then..."

Jonouchi's fists clenched as they spoke, before he growled. "Oii..! Are we gonna get t' th' part where you were doin' somethin t' my head..!?"

That, it seemed, reminded the Egyptian that something was amiss. He eyed the blond oddly, and then turned away. "....You'll have nothing to worry about," he insisted vaguely, his attentions turned back to Yugi once more. "But you..." A pause- and... "....My name is Shaadi," he eventually introduced, the awkwardness of it all keeping Jonouchi distracted enough not to speak. "And if you have completed that puzzle...if another version of you has," he corrected ponderously. "...We shall meet again, I believe..."

Shaadi did not say anything more, turning to leave.

It was far from the explanation Jonouchi wanted. "Oi..! You think I'm just gonna believe y' if you say 'it's fine'!? Oi!!"

Shaadi continued moving, and before Jonouchi could pursue him, Yugi tugged his arm. "...I don't think we should follow him," he insisted, before inclining his head. "...not yet, anyway." There was a pause, and he added- "...but... ...didn't he say he spoke with the curator earlier?"

The blond paled, and nodded slowly. "T...Tha's right. An' if he was doin' somethin' funky before you stopped 'm this time..."

They ran to the office, desperately hoping that what they found was nothing but an irritated and perhaps busy man at his desk.

What they found was a corpse, and with a slow look toward the other they made to leave as fast as they could before they were connected to the crime.


	17. Chapter 17

"Wow, this guy is like a ghost."

After the corpse was found, they went to about the only person they could use to try and track down 'Shaadi' in order to somehow bring him to justice. It was a bit tricky- the only reason they were likely even able to start looking was because Mokuba over all was more inclined to believe there could be strange magic nonsense afoot when it came to everything.

If this were his brother, Jonouchi was certain they would be going _nowhere_ on this.

Fortunately it wasn't the brother, it was Mokuba, so they were here.

...

Which. Didn't do them much good actually. "You said he was doing...what to Jonouchi again?" he asked Yugi, still looking mildly unsure about having the 'other' in his building.

"He held a golden key to his brow- an eye was shining on Shaadi's while he did so, and Jonouchi seemed to be twitching. I tackled him after that."

"Good call," Mokuba noted idly, the blond choking in the background.

"G-Good call!? I ain't a punchin' dummy!"

He was ignored.

"Anyway, I can't find anything. To be fair, if he's from another country...that's a few more layers of security I have to hack through, and I'm not really sure I want to mess around with that _now_ \- Niisama's company is already taking a bit of a hit since he's suddenly dropped off the face of the earth as far as they can tell. I can still keep things going with Isono and Fuguta, but we can't really afford another stock drop."

While Yugi looked primarily confused, Jonouchi took the moment to get back into the conversation. "Nyh- Seriously!? Tha's the reason!?"

Mokuba's stare was flat, and dry. "Well, since I'm pretty sure he doesn't want me arrested at the tender age of _11_..."

"Oh....yeah, that's fair too I guess..."

The boy stretched. "Anyway, that just means you'll have to do this the hard way. If he went after Kanekura, do you think he'll go after anyone else? You guys saw him before the museum closed right? So maybe something you saw then can help figure out what he wants."

It was a good point, and one that had the two crossing their arms from where they were- Jonouchi on the ceiling, already in his spiderman suit, and Yugi in a chair with half of his own costume on. Despite Mokuba insisting he wouldn't be helping the other with his costume, he'd been twitching just slightly whenever his eyes fell upon the detail of it.

Jonouchi suspected that Mokuba would leave some 'suspicious gifts' for the other later, but for now they were focused on more important matters. "Nyhh...other than th' fact tha' I didn' like how he felt, I got nothin'...he hung around th' Egyptian Exhibit most 'f th' day far as I could tell tho'..."

Yugi nodded. "I wasn't the one who was 'present' obviously," he explained with one eye open. "...Actually, it felt like when my other self is sleeping- the puzzle wasn't around his neck. But from what the other remembers, he was very emotional about the exhibit. He cried when he saw the open tomb of the pharaoh on display," he continued- Jonouchi giving a shudder as he remembered the display he'd so quickly moved away from. "...He claimed they were the Pharaoh's tears, and he was holding a scale at the time... ...He vanished after that though."

Not unlike how he left so quickly before...the scales seemed a little worrying, but Jonouchi decided to not think about that. Instead-

"Well, he definitely feels close to the artifacts then," Mokuba observed dryly.

"Man...hope he doesn' figure out that Kanekura wasn' th' only one t' dig those things up..." Jonouchi muttered, shuddering.

...

The room went still.

"...Jonouchi?" Mokuba managed. "...Who else was part of the excavation team?"

...

_ Oh, _


	18. Chapter 18

"Alrigh', we gotta come up w' a plan." Jonouchi wasn't stupid.

This much, Yugi knew. It was strange to be in the 'Scarab' costume- apparently his other self liked the name, so it stuck, and here he was now- but it was strange to be in it, even if it was only Part of it. The brunt of the costume was close-fitting; a turtleneck, and black jeans. Over that however he had a yellow jacket-vest, and _mostly yellow shorts._ There were coloured stripes over them, which added to the 'costume' feel of it.

He didn't have the mask or backpack however, and there was a good reason for it.

"I'm gonna head in from th' top. Since yer grandpa knows this guy, it'll seem less weird if you go in th' normal way...plus, I'll be able to move from above easier I figure," Jonouchi added with a shrug.

Yugi nodded, his puzzle hanging around his neck. "Got it. If I see anything, we'll switch and take things from there- will you be able to get to us fast enough though?"

Jonouchi grimaced...but nonetheless nodded. "8th floor righ'?" he asked instead of answering, his friend nodding.

"Yeah. Room 809. I'll see you there."

"Righ'! See yah!"

They had No idea what they were in for.

...

Literally, no idea.

Jonouchi reached the roof easily. He also broke into the University easily, which wasn't exactly hard. Empty as it was this late, he was at least able to run along the floors instead of trying to scurry across the ceiling like a terrible invading roof-pest. 

Yugi just walked in and took the elevator. His hands on his puzzle, his lip bit as he lost himself in thought.

The doors opened and Shaadi was there.

On the upper floors, Jonouchi started counting down along the stairwell. 12...11...10... ...By the time he reached 8 he was optimistic. Maybe Yoshimori would be alright. Maybe they'd get there and there'd be nothing to worry about.

He opened the door and was almost thrown into a chokehold.

In Yugi's mind, the Other Yugi leered from his Soul Room, standing in the center of a maze with narrowed eyes before smirking and challenging Shaadi to a game.

In reality, Jonouchi had managed to empty two canisters of webfluid pinning Yoshimori to the wall in panic, and was still screaming at a pitch no one likely thought possible for him to reach.

...

He then proceeded to run as fast as he could to room 809, where naturally, Yugi was not there.

"UHHHHH... ...YUGI..!"

He then ran in another direction to find him, still failing to find where his friend actually was.

In Yugi's mind, Shaadi fell so far within the game that the Other Yugi stepped in to save him themselves- but as they woke, it was not the end.

"...Such a curious power," Shaadi murmured, drawing his key back.

Yugi, however, merely stared in fear. "...What did you do?" he whispered in shock, and Shaadi observed the boy for a few moments before answering.

Or at least, speaking. "I propose a test, bearer of the puzzle- a game of my own," he continued-

And before him, he spoke to the 'Other' Yugi once more. "...You've had your test, and your game," he answered coolly. "Why should I participate?"

"You came here for the other one, didn't you?" As Yugi grew pale, Shaadi continued. "You will participate, if you expect him to recover."

"T...The professor..."

Shaadi moved into the elevator, walking easily past the boy despite the narrow doorway. "To the roof, Yugi. We will have our test there."

Jonouchi, sadly, was still running at the other end of the building as this occurred.


	19. Chapter 19

"YUGIIIIII! YU-" 

...

It was becoming rapidly apparent that Yugi was Not on the 8th floor.

Jonouchi froze, and doubled back to Yoshimori.

"NnNNnu _uuhhhhhhh_ "

He webbed Yoshimori's mouth. The Professor was definitely still there.

That didn't answer where Yugi was though, and pacing back and forth for a little bit he was frankly getting freaked out.

' _Hey Jonouchi, you've been wandering around for a while..._ '

"Nyh-"

' _Oh, shoot..! I turned the sound off- Hey, Jonouchi! Say something!_ "

"Mokuba!?" He HAD been oddly quiet.

' _Ehehe...Sorry Jonouchi! I know I try to keep quiet after things start, but I actually had stuff muted! Anyway what's going on, you've been pacing the same floor for a while...not to mention uh... ...That guy..._ '

"'S the professor! Somethin' weird's goin' on with 'm!"

' _....Weird huh_.' Mokuba likely had other words for it. _'Where's Yugi?_ '

"'S what I was tryin' to figure out! I-"

Something gold flashed past his eye, and as he looked to the side he gawked. That...

' _...What's_ THAT?'

"Looks like th' key that Shaadi guy had," Jonouchi answered, heading to the window to open it and peer upward. The key was slowly being pulled on a string, and the blond squinted. "An'...tha' can't be good..."

' _Well, at least it's a lead right?'_

Indeed it was- Jonouchi was already going up the wall.

"Yeah I jus' hope I don' find Yugi in trouble..! Don' expect much from me for a bit!" he added, hurriedly scrambling upward while Mokuba nodded on the other end.

_'Yeah, fair enough- I'll get what I need from watching anyway at this point_.' Well.

That was the hope at least.


	20. Chapter 20

'As we speak, your other self is now held within the puzzle that released you.'

The 'Other Yugi', the 'Scarab', or however he was to be called, stood across from Shaadi with a pale face when he explained the rules.

'The puzzle hangs connected to these things- the shabti, and now, my key. If my key touches the puzzle...your other self's mind will crumble to my will.'

That fact alone was enough to bring him to a cold sweat.

'These shabti represent your will to keep him safe. They will prevent my key from rising.'

He was already down to one.

'Mine, should it crumble, will drop the key to the ground.'

There wasn't even a crack.

The games were a challenge. A true test of will, rather than any skill in games; and to be the one on the other end made it clear just how much _will_ had to do with winning in the first place.

Especially when a stupid, stupid crack showed up in _both_ remaining shabti, because of someone shouting.

"OII!! Yugi! Found yah, geeze!"

"Wh...at..."

"J-Jonouchi..!"

"Oiii Yugi, I found th' professor! ...Also, I webbed 'm to a wall! He uh, he ain't goin' anywhere for a few hours..!" he shouted, climbing over the rail. He paused, and turned, as if only now realizing there had been something there. "...Th' hell..."

Shaadi was still stunned. "How...how did you climb..."

Silence. And with a smile, Yugi looked to Shaadi. "...Can't you understand the bonds of trust?" he asked, his opponent silent in confusion. The crack in Shaadi's shabti grew.

Yugi continued on.

"There's no past or present for that sort of thing. If you believe in them...They'll believe in you. I've learned the true strength of the heart," he added, inclining his head. "...Can you?"

The shabti shattered.

"Woa-!"

The rope for the puzzle snapped as well, not that it mattered as much- that was what webbing was for.

"Geeze, almos' lost that..."

"Well, Shaadi? Is that enough for you?" Jonouchi and Yugi both stared down the Egyptian, who looked to them both in silence.

And finally nodded. "Yes...I believe I understand now," he finally said, the other two frowning in confusion. "The power of your puzzle... ...It would seem it's an undefeatable one- a power in unity," he determined, Jonouchi simply cracking his wrists.

"Yeah yeah..! Jus' accept that you lost fair 'n square pal! You've got a murder to own up to!"

For whatever reason, Shaadi did not seem to react. His words were dull- as empty as his eyes. "Do I?"

Confusion. And-

"J-Jonouchi..!"

"What th-" For only a minute they looked away- as the remains from the 'game' disappeared into nothing but smoke. But when they looked back it was as if Shaadi himself had done the same, leaving nothing behind. "H...Hhhhihhhh..."

' _H-HEY!! Where'd the Egyptian guy go..!'_

"G-GHOST!!! We were actually talkin' to a ghost..!!"

"What a mess..."

Eventually they would remember to check on Yoshimori before the poor man gave himself a heart attack waking up covered in webbing. 

For the most part, they simply opted to try not to think about that night for as long as they could from that point on.


	21. Chapter 21

Things were getting tense.

The Big Five had somehow taken another trickle of power from under his nose- just a few employees who no longer looked at him the same way, a few more reasons to go from school to his brother's hidden room. Things were getting tense.

He was glad for the distraction.

"I know I said I wasn't going to do this..." he started with a sigh, Jonouchi standing in his usual place on the ceiling while Yugi seemed torn between looking at his friend or at Mokuba himself. "But...this is for you."

"For...me?" Yugi asked, taking the box. In an instant he swapped persona as the lid was removed, eyes widening as he looked to the box and then up to Mokuba.

".................this is a su-"

"I know it's a suit..! Just take it and if niisama ever finds out pretend you met someone else..! I just couldn't stand seeing what you normally wear in pictures with Jonouchi..!"

"Haha, and they say you two ain't alike..."

Yugi had no idea what they were talking about evidently, but the gentle bickering served a good distraction for him to go and put it on. As he came back, Mokuba turned to nod.

"Ah- oh good you're already wearing the thing...right. Don't expect any 'bonuses' like Jonouchi's got, okay?" he insisted, pointing at the 'Scarab'. "The most this has is the standard regulation and protection bonuses got it? And the look," Mokuba added, grinning.

The look in question wasn't too much. Mokuba seemed to have found a more streamlined way to encase the puzzle in a 'backpack', forming what looked almost like a small scarab-wing carapace on the upper back. It even had an eye on it- just to keep in line with _that_ side of things. The carapace even replaced the backpack straps with the look of legs going around the suit- kind of creepy if one asked Jonouchi, but apparently Yugi was into it.

The mask was still only a partial mask- though it came up as a hood in this case, so no visible hair would be creating issue. It even had lenses- and from there, the relatively skin-tight one piece was perfect.

Or at least, that was what Yugi looked to quietly be insisting. "...Thank you, Mokuba," he said honestly.

"Hn! Just don't mention it! ...Er. Seriously though, I really don't know what my brother will say at this point..."

"How is y'r brother anyway? Any word?" Jonouchi asked, hopping down to watch as Yugi did a few practice hops.

The answer was a sad 'negative', as Mokuba shook his head. "...Nothing. ...Whatever he's working on, we'll probably see _that_ before we see _him_..."

At this Yugi rather awkwardly looked away- no doubt feeling partly responsible- while Jonouchi scratched his head with the same feeling in mind. "Ahhh...geeze, I..."

"Hey, don't start feeling sorry for me..!" Mokuba cut in, the other two jumping.

"NYH-! Right..!!"

With a grin, the boy thus continued. "Heh. Good! Now...why not test out that new suit, Yugi? Go for a run with Jonouchi~?"

There was nothing to argue about, so naturally with a nod they turned to head off.


	22. Chapter 22

Their patrols went well, even if Yugi was no longer using quite the same techniques as before. On the one hand, the Games of Darkness as they were called- or 'Shadow Games'- were pretty much the only tool at Yugi's disposal. If he wasn't going to rig something up with a knife or something, he'd need something _else_ , and preferably something that wouldn't end in Yugi himself suffering.

The problem was that games required balance. While the Other Yugi could easily gauge just what kind of game would throw the opponent off balance enough for him to succeed, it was too risky to bet on just that- or at least that was what Jonouchi insisted, and that was how things stood as far as his other side was concerned.

He needed to make the powers of the Game work in his favor, without throwing the scale. 

But, another option of course- as Jonouchi pointed out- could be just finding a way to make the game environment work against them too. Most of the guys they dealt with would be firing guns. Make the guns stop working, and it could be a lot easier to 'kneecap 'm', as he put it.

From there...

'Jus' make the penalty somethin' like...loser gets tied up, I dunno...Somethin' that isn't just spookin' 'm so bad they have a heart attack before turnin' themselves over.'

...He would need to be creative. He would need to come up with something himself. Or...

... _They_ would.

Yugi- the original- had other ideas after all. Other options they found, and as they worked together more and more it felt more as though they were truly separate beings.

One could spy ahead.

The other could act as the 'playing field' allowed, coming up to the target with one final game.

"We're going to play a game...and the one who loses will be 'caught'. Sound good?"

And the King of Games never lost.


	23. Chapter 23

The Scarab was making a name for himself. Spiderman was as well. Both were becoming known as occasional allies, who did their own thing and their own part in saving the day so to speak. One day Mokuba wondered as he ducked into an alley, he wouldn't be surprised to see super _villains_ either.

But for now the biggest problems were men in suits, and he rather preferred it that way.

For now.

"Jonouchi, can you read me?"

Mokuba pulled out his phone and hissed into it as carefully as he could, eyes around the corner as he steadied his breathing.

"Jonouchi...I need you to come to this location- and if I'm not there, look for _this_ car," he added, rapidly detailing the make and plates as he'd seen them. "...be careful. Stay hidden."

Jonouchi didn't question him for a second.

He was there in moments it felt like. Swinging through the air one minute, and then stealthily skirting through alleys along the walls until he was there.

"Get on," he said, and Mokuba hurriedly nodded.

He didn't ask what was going on until they were not only in the air, but many, many more buildings away.

"So...mind tellin' me what's goin' on?"

"Just get us somewhere hidden," Mokuba pleaded, and Jonouchi had half a mind to insist answers first...but with the look on his face decided against it.

"...alrigh'."

Clothing trick then. Swing a few buildings, put his hoodie from the walk with Yugi over the kid- hair hidden and stuffed in the shirt.

Swing a few more buildings. Pull his school uniform back on, ditch the mask in his bag.

Run a few building blocks. Roll up the kid's jeans to look like shorts, trade backpacks, run a little more.

And by the end of it when his sense wasn't pinging that someone was following him, duck into the Kame Game.

"Oh- Jonouchi-kun..?" "Jonouchi? ...Who's this?"

Mokuba looked rather hesitantly up to Jonouchi- who looked to Yugi with a somewhat nervous expression before answering- "Kid from my neighborhood; folks're givin' 'm trouble, so I figured he could hang out w' us while we watch the championships yeah?"

Most of the others bought it, albeit with a confused 'didn't know you were close to your neighbors'. Yugi merely looked, read the expressions, and nodded.

"Oh hey, I'm gonna just show 'm where t' put his things for now tho, if tha's alrigh'..?"

There was no argument, and they headed into the house- Yugi soon following after and letting them into his bedroom for a private place to explain.

"...I don't think my brother is okay."

They were only one sentence into the reason, and it already felt Bad.

"...While he's been gone...KaibaCorp hasn't been doing great. I...told you that, but..." Mokuba sighed. "When my brother took over the company, there were five people from the last CEO- our...'father'," he hesitated to explain, "...There were five from the last CEO's board of directors left under his employ. I think he's been trying to lay them off but..." The boy shook his head.

It wasn't relevant, after all.

"I can't control a lot while he's gone. And...while he's been gone, they've been acting weird- the employees have been changing at the house, and at the building...and I've seen more people from I2, Pegasus' company-"

"Pegasus?" Yugi interrupted with a blink. "You mean...the creator of Duel Monsters?"

Mokuba nodded. "...today after school I noticed I was being followed... ...Originally I tried calling home but..."

"...You figure they're after y', huh," Jonouchi murmured, understanding the expression that was now on the boy's face.

"I just... ...It _felt_ like back then, like..."

His mutterings were cut short by a hand on his shoulder, the teens in the room nodding. "...'s alrigh'," Jonouchi insisted. "Yer safe here."

"Yeah- and I don't think anyone would think to come here," Yugi insisted. "No one knows about _my_ association I'm pretty sure...not thanks to how we've been meeting anyway," he laughed quietly.

The reassurance was enough to earn a smile from Mokuba, at least for the moment. So with that, the two stood.

"Well...like Jonouchi said, we're going to be watching the Duel Monster's championship. If...you don't want to you don't have to watch," he added- quite aware of the fact that with recent news, seeing Pegasus on the screen might not have been a welcome idea- but Mokuba didn't appear to mind.

"Uh- Yeah! It'll help with the cover story right?" the boy noted, the others nodding.

"Yeah- plus there's popcorn, an' pop..."

"Oooh...what kinds..?"

There they were- now Mokuba's mood was set for the whole evening!

...

Probably.


	24. Chapter 24

They saw Pegasus on screen announcing the tournament, and though Mokuba grimaced a little bit it was easily passed off as commentary on the timing- after all, what a way to overshadow the success of the newest champion in Japan right?

But then the tape went in.

"...Hey Yug', I don' think Mokuba's feelin great," Jonouchi insisted, and from the force in his tone, the way his eyes snapped to the screen and the way that the one _on_ the screen actually looked _to him_...

Yugi knew. He nodded, and as they left-

' _My my, Kaiba-boy...leaving so soon?_ '

Jonouchi and Mokuba grabbed their things and ran.

In the background he could hear the Other Yugi insist to Pegasus that the package being for him meant _he_ was the target.

And idly he wondered how Pegasus even found Yugi, but with so many of the employees apparently slipping away from Mokuba's control who knew.

Maybe there was a video feed of that duel after all.

Jonouchi didn't even bother with the mask and gloves for his suit.

He rolled his jacket sleeves up and ran, and swung, Mokuba on his back as they went. 

They wouldn't be able to run from the Eyes this time though.


	25. Chapter 25

They stopped at a warehouse that Jonouchi knew once belonged to Hirutani's crew, but absolutely wasn't anymore and was thus fortunately abandoned enough for their purposes. It seemed hidden enough, and more importantly with as little web fluid left before recharge it was the best they could do. "Righ....you stay back here for now alrigh'?" he whispered to Mokuba, the boy nodding. They holed up in a basement room, the back end closet of some chamber, and there they would stay. 

At least until the coast was clear.

"This place...this 's the only way in f'r now, so tha' means th' only way in is through Spiderman, got it?" Mokuba's expression was pained, but Jonouchi simply pointed a thumb at himself and grinned. "An' Spiderman ain't goin' down! He can throw me around all he wants w' those wimpy arms, I'll jus' get back up!"

That was what he said.

That was what he said as he refilled his webshooters and carefully left the room, looking down the tunnel with narrowed eyes. That was what he said as he took the only staircase up, and waited.

Waited for his senses to ping, and to aim and shoot.

Pegasus was laughable. One man against webbing? Easy. He glowered at him from across the room after pinning him to the wall, fists clenched tight. "You got some nerve...comin' here in person." Of course, he'd been in the city. He'd been filmed live not long ago, and it was likely easy enough to simply travel from there.

The man simply smiled. Tried to play 'soft'. "Ahhhhh....yes, I did see you for just a moment..! Such a caring figure- you must be so close to the Kaiba-boy~" he cheered, tugging a bit at the webbing that glued his feet down. "But ohhhh noo! Our first meeting, and you've already ruined my shoes...even my suit! Tsk tsk tsk..." He clicked his tongue, and his expression abruptly turned serious. "...Such rudeness...just what has that boy told you of me, I wonder..?"

"It matter?" Jonouchi narrowed his eyes and cracked his knuckles. "I got half a mind t' knock yer pretty nose in, if anythin'! You want 'm, you're gonna have t' come get 'm! An' I guarantee, no number of mooks you throw my way are gonna make it!"

Not that there were any of course.

...

Perhaps he should have been worried about that. About the way Pegasus ducked his head and pulled his hair back. About the way he looked up with a golden eye that sent a shudder down his spine, alarm bells ringing in his head.

"Ohh~ Like my eye?" Pegasus chuckled, adjusting the sleeves of his suit. "Well...Unfortunately for you, 'boy'...I really must have that Mokuba Kaiba! And with you in the way..."

The air shook.

The webbing began to crackle.

"...What th' hell are you doin'?" Jonouchi managed with a swallow, eyes wide as he looked to Pegasus' own. It felt...

Wrong.

Like something probing, prodding.

_ Stop that. _

It felt like Shaadi, with the key.

_ Stop that. _

It felt....

"Ghk...K...KNOCK THAT OFF..!" he roared, and to his surprise it felt as though Pegasus did just that. But as he fell to his knees fatigued, Pegasus was still standing...

And without the webbing at his feet, he was walking.

Jonouchi didn't think.

He just moved. Ran.

And with a blast Jonouchi found himself launched onto his back.

"JONOUCHI-!"

No.

Mokuba ran up the stairs, and ran for his side.

"Ahhhhh...there you are..."

Pegasus walked closer, and idly Jonouchi wondered if the puzzle could let Yugi do that- the items... ...they felt connected after all, they felt...

_ No. _

"Now, if you could just..."

"J...Jonouchi..."

Jonouchi began to get up.

"What on earth..."

He shook, and he trembled, but he began to get up. "Nhh....Mokuba...didn' I tell y'..?" he managed, pulling himself to his feet to turn. "If he wants t' get you...He's gotta go through me!" he roared as he charged, eyes wide as time seemed to slow for just one impossible instant of thought.

As his fist moved toward Pegasus' face.

As Pegasus seemed to finger something, a card perhaps....

As the eye Gleamed.

As Mokuba yelled- " _DON'T! NO, DON'T, JUST TAKE ME, I'LL GO IF YOU-_ "

And the rest...

Was silence.


	26. Chapter 26

His body hit the floor.

But the card was _empty_.

But he could work with this, Pegasus thought quietly to himself. Hold the image of that calm, affable smile as Mokuba screamed for the blond boy who had somehow...Known. What he was doing.

Not stopped him.

Simply....

_Known_.

The card was empty.

But the body was as well.

"Ahhhh...such a tragedy, Mokuba-boy...your brother, and now this one as well..!"

Mokuba did not directly answer the other, instead weeping as he shook the other's blankly staring body. "What did you do to him..? Why isn't he moving..!?"

"Why...isn't it obvious?" Pegasus chuckled- and despite it being a lie, held forward the blank card. "I've taken his Soul, dear Mokuba-boy." As the younger drew back, he simply 'explained'.

As best he could, at least.

"Well...temporarily of course. You see dear Mokuba...until his name appears on this card truly, I can _always_ put it back. ...Of course...if I were to damage this," he chuckled, playing with the edge as the boy screamed.

"D-DON'T..!!"

He believed him.

In the boy's mind there was enough proof of strange occurrences to believe him.

So he did.

Good.

"Don't? Ahh, of course...you want him back after all! Well, well, Mokuba-boy~! I would gladly do so~! Well... _Later_ , of course..."

Of course it would be later, what did the boy think he would do?

"Come with me- and if you behave, and listen, and sit close until we have everything we need for your company... _Then_ ," he sighed. "Then, you will have your friend back..."

There was never any doubt what Mokuba's answer would be.

Pegasus left the body where it lay, casually ensuring that worst came to worst, it would at least keep breathing for another day.

It wouldn't be needed after that, after all.


	27. Chapter 27

He couldn't see.

He could see, but he couldn't see, the world cloaked in smoke and shadow.

Jonouchi scrambled at first- but his senses were running haywire as he fumbled through the ether, and even voices sounded like distant echoes in the mist. The more he chased them the further they got, until finally there was nothing _to_ chase.

It was terrifying.

But the worst thing was that he wasn't _alone_.

There were things in the haze.

Things he couldn't entirely see, that could attack him.

Things he could hit _back_ and thank god, but it still kept him moving.

And he didn't understand what was going on. He... 

....

He'd lost, though.

He'd lost and he hadn't gotten back up like he promised not at all.

He'd fallen, if anything.

Jonouchi couldn't see.

...

But in the ether he...sensed something.

"Oh...what is _this_..?"

He heard something. "....Hey..."

He heard something, even if they weren't answering.

"Hey..! Who said that!"

...

They answered _this_ time.

"Well now...a lost soul that Speaks sense?"

Jonouchi couldn't see.

But there was no denying the source of the sudden shiver down his spine, the same as he always felt whenever one of those items of gold worked its magic.


	28. Chapter 28

He couldn't see who he was talking to, but he could hear them. 

They were no one he recognized of course. _That_ would have been real surprising.

But he could hear them and that was a start to getting out of this mess.

"You can hear me," he started with a choke, hurriedly pushing through to his point. "You- I dunno who th' heck you are man, but you gotta help me out..!"

The response was a chuckle. It figured he found someone more like Kaiba than they were Yugi. "Hnhnhnhnh...my, how demanding," the voice remarked. "You're not even in a position to bargain, are you? Just what do you think I could do about you?"

"Y' got one of those items w' an eye on it right?"

That shut the voice up very, very quickly.

Jonouchi pressed on. "I dunno how those things are linked...but they've all had freaky powers, an' that's as good a lead as any ain't it?"

Silence.

And the voice finally spoke- "...A very big guess that you're making...and apparently a blind one," he added, Jonouchi wincing in reply. "Where have you seen these 'items', then? Perhaps you and I can work together for something after all."

On any other day, that would have been worrying.

But right now, with nothing but fog and shadow around him, what other option did he have?

"Well my friend's got one, f'r one. Brought, uh...another 'him' out, like a spirit, or maybe jus' another version of 'm, but anyway, there's tha'..." He coughed. "An' there was tha' ghost w' the scales an' key thing... ...Those ain't what did this though," Jonouchi added. "It was an eye- like...literally, he had it in his eye, one minute I was set t' punch 'm in th' face an' the next I was here!"

It felt like he was being looked over. Observed. But there was no shiver down his spine, so Jonouchi ignored it. Held his tongue.

"Hmmm. You've encountered quite a number of these..." the voice murmured. "...Let's say I were to have a way to help you then- your poor, disembodied soul," he added, Jonouchi shuddering just for the choice of words in that case. "Would you be willing to show me to those items..? Perhaps your 'friend'..?"

"...I'll tell y' who has the eye, if what yer plannin' is what I think," Jonouchi growled quickly. "But Yugi an' th' Other Yugi are a pair- an' I ain't letting y' split 'm, not when I don' even know what y'd do w' the things."

Chuckling.

And then laughter. "So quick to accuse, but so quick to trust..! You're an interesting ghost, aren't you... ...Well. Fortunately for you," he continued, "My 'ring' happens to have a bit of a...specialty, when it comes to souls. You might just be in luck today..."

This was feeling, by the minute, like a bad idea.

But again, he was out of options.

"I'll take luck," the 'ghost' said with a swallow. "'f it means gettin put back in reality..."

"Back in your body, you mean?" the voice replied.

"NH- S- So I'm straight up so- O-Oii, that means I've been runnin' around w' my body left where I was before then though..!!"

There was laughter- evidently the entire predicament was quite amusing to the voice. But he continued. "Aaaaah....just now realized it? You're just full of surprises, aren't you? Do you know where you left it? Know how to retrace your steps?" he taunted, only to go quiet when Jonouchi answered seriously.

"...I could give y' the address an' follow yer voice."

...

Well, he could after all.

'Then do so,' was the other's reply, as a walk therefore began.

What other option was there?


	29. Chapter 29

His name was 'Bakura Ryou'. He had moved recently to Domino, and was going to start classes in a few days. "Oh, really?" Jonouchi had asked excitedly. "What year?"

"One."

"Oh!! I wonder 'f we'll be in th' same school..." They hadn't clarified on which one and where from there, but the conversation helped for Bakura to at least locate the body itself.

It was apparently interesting to him. "Hmmm...so this is it..." Jonouchi saw nothing but smoke.

Bakura, he suspected, could see the warehouse.

"Quite the fight you had with the one who has the Eye...is that...a costume?" he questioned, Jonouchi only shrugging his shoulders. "Hn. No matter...let's see what we can do here," Bakura chuckled.

As far as Jonouchi could see, nothing was happening. But a shudder passed over him after a moment, and soon enough as the shuddering stopped, Bakura spoke again.

"Hn! You're a lucky one," he snorted. "Whatever happened here, it doesn't seem like it was intentional."

"Wh- Y' mean that bastard knocked me outta my body accidentally!?"

"Oh no- that part, unfortunately, was intended...but he apparently couldn't decide _where_ quickly enough," Bakura hummed. "...Possibly because you were trying to punch him."

"An' if I had, I'd 've knocked that dumb eye right outta his face!"

Bakura made a sound as if in disbelief, but apparently not willing to press about it. "Well, that was the good news- it means I can do something. The bad news is, I can't put you _back_ Jonouchi. I can only put you in something _else_ for the time being."

"Wh...seriously!? How th' hell is that any help..!?"

"Well...I won't force you, certainly," Bakura hummed. "But...I can't imagine being left to the shadows in your state has made things...Easy." As Jonouchi grimaced, Bakura continued on. "If you're tied to an item, you'll be able to interact within the limits of that item. A card would allow you to see from the face- a figurine, meanwhile, would become a miniature 'body' with its own mouth, and ears...do you see where I'm going with this? Right now you are nothing but a _spirit_ ," he sneered. "A wraith who can be seen only by those who know how to look for it, those such as myself with the Millennium Items. You will be left to the mercy of the darkness, until either someone defeats your 'eye' wielder...or you simply find yourself devoured..."

Jonouchi swallowed, and tried to speak.

Instead, he only made a small choking sound as Bakura scoffed. "But, if you prefer that..."

"Y'...What abou' somethin' w a camera?"

"Mnh?" Bakura pondered the question- "You have something in mind Jonouchi? Considering a figurine perhaps? I would have to find one you know...~"

"Wh- A figurine? Like I could fight in one of those!"

"It's rather difficult to fight with a camera as well, but I suspect you have something else in mind then..." Of course he did!

"Check my pocket, will y'?"

Bakura was quiet- but... "Pocket? ...Very well, I- ...Is this the mask for whatever you're wearing..." he muttered, no doubt poking over the body to check under the jacket.

"Yeah- put it on, see if you can find th' gloves too..."

"This is rather well made...there's a camera in this?"

"Camera, phone..."

"What on earth do you need..."

"Would it work or not man..!"

Bakura took a moment, but only because he had abruptly realized what Jonouchi was asking. And while the ghost could not see him, he could practically imagine the grin. "Oh... ...Oh my... ...Well. There's only one way to find out, isn't there? We'll give this a try Jonouchi! And if it works...you're taking me to that place where the man with the Eye waits, got it?"

"Got it!"

And the rest...

Was just Weird, if he was honest.


	30. Chapter 30

Jonouchi didn't so much as wake up as...blink into existence. His eyes had unconsciously tapped into the lenses within the mask easily enough, which made seeing fine- as long as he didn't look away. It was all very 'goldfish memory'- looking away made imagining what he'd just seen difficult, as if his brain was still as intangible as being a ghost had been.

Moving was worse. "Oh dear." Bakura watched as Jonouchi strained to lift his arm properly, doing a great job initially at twisting the fabric around before finally shifting it. Legs were likewise an issue, and when he finally did get himself to his feet, it took actual focus to keep from just falling limp on the spot. "Well it certainly worked..! You've found a way to get as close to your body as you can..."

Now that he could see him, Jonouchi found himself staring. Bakura looked almost like the 'pretty-boy' stereotype that would have had his classmates falling all over him. He had skin as pale as a whitewashed wall, and hair that was even whiter. But there was no denying the danger within Bakura's face and expression, and the absolute chaos held back by his eyes. He felt like someone capable of anything, willing to do anything-

And 'anything' could include terrible things indeed.

His 'cameras' focused on the ring next however, and as he commented on it Bakura frowned.

"...I don't suppose you can 'speak up' can you?"

With focus, the volume control for what would normally be the speakers at his ears went up. His hearing, he noted, was limited to the mic- he turned up that dial with his thoughts best he could as well.

"I said-"

Bakura froze, and held up a hand. "...Hold on- if you're using what I think, you're going to blow out your ears...actually," he added, pulling the mask off as the body behind let the head go limp, "I should close your eyes so that you don't successfully dry them out..."

Seeing his soulless body from Bakura's hands was terrifying. His mouth was closed- possibly just because of how tense he'd been at the time- but his eyes were staring blankly forward, as if dead. The only reason he knew he wasn't dead in fact, was because of the slow rise and fall of his chest.

Bakura plugged up the ears, and put the mask back on. "There. That should keep you from successfully blowing out your own eardrums..." He didn't even realize that was a risk.

But alright. "Geeze," he warbled, voice sounding like a strange static burst of his own thoughts. "This is way more complicated than I figured it'd be..."

"Complicated...but it's working well; most of my victims tend to be hospitalized," he added idly, Jonouchi inwardly grimacing.

He. He should have known, he had a specialty after all and... "Geeze..I can' tell if tha's worse or better than th' other Yugi..."

Bakura raised an eyebrow, apparently not expecting that response. "Oh? Not a fan of souls?" Bakura hummed.

"Eh..." If he could do so easily, he'd have shrugged. "More th' type t' leave lastin' brain damage, y'know? Like hallucinations an' shit. Lot's 'f games that'd threaten th' normal Yugi too, though he's cuttin' that part out these days."

Bakura blinked.

Jonouchi added- "Y'know, come t' think, he was probably th' reason the shoe store guy was found dead an'-"

"I think I get the picture," Bakura cut in, crossing his arms. "Now- the eye."

Right. "Pegasus."

"...Pegasus."

"Yeah- guy who made Duel Monsters, that Pegasus."

"You fought a CEO in a warehouse?" Oi oi...

"'S complicated alrigh'! I was tryin' t' keep someone safe, so we hid here! But anyway, Pegasus 's the one you're after, an' he's th' one I'm after," Jonouchi added as he tried to turn.

And fell.

"Nghhh..."

"Hnhnhnhn...keep at it that way, and you're going to wake up with broken bones," Bakura remarked.

"Yeah well it's th' best I can do ain't it..."

"Alone, perhaps..." But Bakura studied him a moment, before fiddling with the strange, five pronged ring around his neck. "...But try moving now..."

Now?

Jonouchi didn't expect any difference, but when he was able to stand up with relative ease and remain there with little focus- albeit with a slump- he paused. "...How..."

"I put you there didn't I? That leaves me with a bit of control, even if not much- I might not have been the one to deliver the punishment, but I can at least manage this part..."

"Y- You can control what I do..!?"

"Not enough for it to be of any use..." Bakura huffed, the remark only partly comforting.

After all...if Bakura was lying...

"Regardless Jonouchi, we're going to be stuck with the other for a while if you want to get back to normal! Pegasus Crawford lives in the United States after all! So unless you know when he'll be here next, we're going to need to do some travelling."

That... ...That was a good point.

If Jonouchi could frown, he'd frown.

But then he realized something- "...Duelist Kingdom."

"Mnh?"

Jonouchi pulled himself up straighter with difficulty, continuing. "Duelist Kingdom..! Pegasus' holdin' some kinda tournament soon...invited the duelist's from Japan to it, specifically! If he's hostin', then that means he'll be there righ'?"

It certainly seemed right, and Bakura pondered the idea with closed eyes. "It certainly should...And the timing?"

Ah.

"I....don' know."

"Your body _will_ starve if you leave it too long, you know."

"Nyh...! It was announced just a few hours ago..! That's all I g-"

While Jonouchi had his panic, Bakura pulled out a phone, typing a few things in with narrowed eyes.

"Well. For someone with terrible luck, you have equally bountiful fortune."

"Heh?"

Bakura held the phone forward. "The Duelist Kingdom has been officially moved to a mere 24 hours from now for the boarding date. Apparently 'business related circumstance' has forced Pegasus' hand." He then smirked. "Up to the task?"

Jonouchi tried to grimace, but apparently suits couldn't do that. Eventually he managed an odd sort of shrug. "Ehhhh...I....think I've gone w' out for longer..."

It was going to _suck_ when he got his body back.


	31. Chapter 31

For all that it would only be a few days before he got his body back (or, it better have been), he couldn't just leave Yugi hanging on things. Unfortunately, fine motor control was...not quite all there yet.

"I _suppose_ I could pass a message along..." Bakura had started with a mild smirk- though he was likely joking since he didn't seem especially surprised when Jonouchi immediately told him to just take his phone and text in his stead.

It felt like a blow to the gut when Bakura initially picked up Mokuba's. There went telling him.

But for Yugi at least, he could do this much. "Jus' say 'Pegasus got Mokuba- Spider in pursuit'," he explained, Bakura idly looking over the blond's phone before protesting.

"You really _do_ take this costumed hero thing seriously don't you..." he muttered as he typed it down. Jonouchi just shrugged.

"What, don' read th' papers? They've been callin' me Spiderman since before I had th' costume! Figured it works."

"Mmm, of course, of course. Well." Bakura tossed the phone back, smirking as Jonouchi fumbled. "It would seem you have a number of hours now. According to the information I could find, the duelists who will be going have been told to seek out the pier; and you're lucky I could find anything at all," he scoffed. "A number of the competitors chosen have a habit of running their mouth online. Without that, you'd be in the dark."

Not a great thought.

Jonouchi just nodded, and stuffed the phone in his jacket pocket. He looked fairly ridiculous, being dressed in both the Spidersuit and his school clothes, but he would work with what he had. "Righ'...well, I guess until then I ought figure out my limits like this," he decided, looking over his hand. "An'... ...Probably get my duel monsters cards just in case..."

"Planning on challenging the creator at his own game?"

"Hihh! It'd be real great if I didn', but if I have more luck at it..!"

Bakura seemed to take that, and from there the pair had gone their separate ways.


	32. Chapter 32

The text had been sent.

For now however, it was time for the hard part. Waiting until it was time to find a crowd of duelists along the pier.

He couldn't go to school. That was obvious. And he didn't want to answer his phone when Yugi tried calling- not if he wanted the other to keep _his_ soul. Honda and Anzu calling didn't help, and eventually he had to groan from where he was hiding out in the warehouse after raiding his own bedroom for his cards and some other clothes to hide the spiderman suit.

Yugi did, at least, get the picture after a bit- sending messages short enough for a preview to take note of so that he didn't have to mark anything as 'read', saying 'Got it', and 'Grmps Soul Gone' and 'See you'.

Which was worrying, but he could hardly just reply back and ask what the _hell_ happened after he had left.

At least he even had time to watch the video message his sister left him just before everything went to hell and back.

A message that left him colder than he already felt.

He couldn't even try to see her like this, let alone find a way to pay for that surgery.

He felt weak.

Useless.

A prisoner within his own 'suit' and self, and while it was only a few hours he told himself, only a day, his focus to practice what he _could_ do only emphasized it. He couldn't fight- it was like trying to get a puppet to fight, there was no force behind his blows no matter how much he tried. He couldn't use his powers- he'd figured the eyes would be that way, same as the heat use, but even sticking wasn't coming to him.

Every night he was 'spiderman' he had had plenty of people riding on him.

Now with a specific group of people on the line, with just a few handicaps in place, it felt more like the whole world was on his shoulders.

And more than ever he felt alone for it.

If those few hours were good for one thing however, it was for the experience needed to climb up to some tall building near the pier and start looking for a crowd. Bakura, somehow, found him before he could even start sending a text.

A text he'd managed to type without fumbling with his fingers this time, much like how he was no longer fumbling the webbing.

He didn't fumble with his sweater either, ducking his head and shouldering his bag as he moved to meet him. He didn't slump awkwardly when stood by Bakura, the white-haired boy nodding sternly and jabbing a thumb in the direction of the ship everyone was to board.

He'd gone over his own deck, while taking 'breaks' between tests of physical capacity. Use spells more, use traps more, they'd all said the day before everything went to shit.

It was a good thing he hadn't sold all the spares from his boosterpacks yet- adding those...well.

They'd see how things went if it came to it. Hopefully, they could just crawl into where Pegasus was and go from there.

"Ready?" Bakura asked, looking to the shooters that he now knew to be the source of webbing material.

Jonouchi nodded, albeit with the kind of body language that 'grimaced' for him. "Yeah. I figure we can climb up from th' other side, though you'll wanna get on my back f'r that bit."

There was no argument to that, Bakura simply nodding. Even if Jonouchi wasn't actually able to lift him, he wouldn't be suffering the consequences until later.

And he was pretty sure the blond's body was capable of it. "Good- Best hurry," he added lowly. "...Before the Competition sees you."

The competition? Jonouchi gave a wheeze that sounded more like a speaker blowing out, and the only proof that it hadn't was his hissing 'whisper'. "GKh- Y-Yugi's here..!"

Bakura smirked- smug that he'd confirmed the location of the puzzle.

Jonouchi immediately turned and choked, doing his best to avoid the other's notice. "Sh-shit..! Looks like I've got even more reason t' hole up on th' roof..!" he whispered, hurriedly making his way to the far side of the docks where the crowd had thinned to nothing. No wonder he'd said 'see you'!

It would be a few minutes before they could properly climb up, but it was child's play to take aim at the upper rails and get a heads start while everyone was distracted with the boarding process.

And far behind the crowd, Yugi held his puzzle and wondered if his friends were alright.


	33. Chapter 33

About fifteen minutes into the trip, Bakura reappeared on the roof with a glove, a set of cards, and two starchips. He'd left to scope the competition, though when Jonouchi accused him of just wanting to take a peek at Yugi, he didn't deny it.

Bakura didn't say anything as he presented them forward, and frankly he didn't have to- Jonouchi merely stared at the glove as he took it, and slowly looked back to the one who'd given it to him.

"Err....do I wanna know what happened t' th' one who had these..?"

Bakura merely smiled eeriely. "Nothing permanent...He'll be upset when he wakes up in an hour or so, you can be assured of that."

Assured indeed- while he couldn't physically sigh, he at least gave the sound of a sigh of relief. The feeling disappeared quickly when he took a look at the blank card in the pile.

"...Man I got a bad feelin' about what Pegasus' plans f'r this tournament are..."

That received a chuckle. "Hnhnhnhnh...if I'm right, he intends for your friend with the puzzle to get to him in the finals- his plans are as transparent as fine glass."

Great. "Eugh..." He pocketted the cards, turning his attention upward as Bakura moved to leave. "Nyh? What're you doin'?"

"Those trinkets aren't the only thing I managed to obtain; the one I took them from was one of the two who earned a bedroom on board. It'll be far easier to hide out from in there, than up here."

"Oh- seriously? Only two people got a room?" There was little argument about the matter, as he followed along. "Jeeze, f'r a billionaire that guy's pretty cheap..."

"I'm sure they don't mind; I saw them trading cards," Bakura murmured quietly. "If we weren't trying to keep a low profile, I'd even suggest going in there to do so yourself..."

...

Unfortunately, that wasn't going to work with Yugi in that room. Both of them knew that however, so with another digitized sigh, Jonouchi followed after Bakura until they were able to close themselves in.

From there, the two opted not to sleep- particularly since one of them literally couldn't- and instead go over the other's duel monster's deck. "If we're going to rely on your skills to get us nearer to Pegasus himself," Bakura had explained, "We're going to make sure they're at least sub-par. These people were handpicked from the best to compete against the other. They aren't going to be easy to fight."

There wasn't much they could do with what Jonouchi had of course- but ultimately Bakura did find the deck 'adequate'.

"You rely a little much on luck, but something tells me that won't be an issue. I almost wonder if you should bet someone 'all-or-nothing' for their chips..."

Jonouchi nodded, again grimacing inwardly. "Righ'. An' if this glove's any clue, he's probably usin' those t' decide who gets anywhere near 'm..."

There were ten slots after all- and only two were filled. It wasn't a great feeling. "We'll have to find out at the opening ceremonies," Bakura noted dismisively. "With any luck, we'll be in the same building with him- no amount of star chips will keep us from him if the only thing in our way is a door."

Perhaps if he wasn't a disembodied soul tied to a super suit, he'd be more worried about what Bakura had just said.

As it were he merely grunted, and stared out the window that they would be using to leave the ship once they arrived.


	34. Chapter 34

Sure enough at the opening ceremonies, greater fears were confirmed.

"Eugh...great. Lockin' 'mself in a castle and leavin' us here on th' island..." While Bakura pursed his lips, Jonouchi just groaned from where they were quietly listening from the trees nearest the crowd. "Man...'f I could just use my _body_ we'd be up there an done by now..!"

"Hm! You say this as though a good blow to the face isn't why you're in this situation."

"Nah, not strength- though if I could, I would..." Jonouchi grumbled. "Jus'...hell, at least I'd be able t' just climb up th' walls t' sneak in..!"

Bakura blinked. "...Climb?"

"Mnh? What, figured th' webs were the only spider thing? Those were made b'cause of it, I can stick t' stuff! Like, walk on ceilin's an' stuff!"

And now, the teen was just staring. "...I see," he said eventually. "...Well- there's always the chance that we can find an opening here...we've at least confirmed what you were saying about that eye though," Bakura added more softly, holding his ring.

The item in question seemed to determinedly be pointing toward where Pegasus had been standing until moments earlier- slowly moving their prongs along what was no doubt the path he was taking inside until they abruptly dropped. "Hmmm...tha' thing reacts t' other items then huh..."

"It does...well. Once at least," he muttered, letting it drop. "If I will it, it should be able to locate them again. All of the items have their little perks," Bakura added, as if naturally sensing the confusion in Jonouchi's mind. "Mine just happens to be... _Dowsing_ you could say."

"Huh. ...yours an' everyone's except Yugi I guess..."

"Oh?"

Jonouchi shrugged. They were relatively safe to talk here, since everyone who had gathered only moved _back_ down the hill, rather than farther up. "Well- I dunno abou' the scales that Shaadi had," he explained, not quite catching the flinch of recognition from Bakura, "But 's key sure felt like it was doin' somethin'. Yugi caught 'm holdin' it t' my head, an...I mean I didn't super see anythin other than 'm standing there but it... _felt_ like there was another room around, y'know?"

If Bakura knew, he wasn't showing it. Instead he seemed to mouth something, before pressing more audibly.

"...You felt this?" he repeated, his comrade nodding.

"Er...yeah? It w's kinda like the Eye but...more literal I guess. When I looked at Pegasus' eye though...Th's time....'s more like he was righ' there. Seein' what I was seein', y'know..?" he added, watching as recognition and understanding came over Bakura's face.

"...mind reading..." Recognition intensified. "...The Millennium Eye can read minds, of course..." Er.

"...tell me y' ain't gonna shove that in yer head..."

"Psh." Bakura waved his hand. "Of course not, I'd hardly need to. Even if I wanted that blasted thing in my skull, I have a landlord to worry about; the last thing I need is them waking up and-"

"W- Wai' wai' wai'...'wakin' up'? You're 'another' Bakura, not just one Bakura!?" Before the other could continue, Jonouchi pointed. "Hey, he knows abou' this right?"

"About what, Jonouchi, the fact that we're plotting to steal someone's eye?"

"WELL...alrigh' that one's fair," he conceeded. "But no th' rest! Th' part where you exist, f'r starters!"

Silence.

"Seriously!?" Jonouchi groaned. "Man, between you an' th' Other Yugi..."

"I hardly think it would be of any benefit-"

"Yer sharin' a body, of course it's a benefit!"

They did not bicker on the matter very long, but they bickered long enough- eventually the conversation needed to die, but if one thing had been made clear it was this; Jonouchi wasn't going to just let it drop for good, and Bakura would either need to tell his host himself, or find himself dealing with a new-found pain in his rear doing it for him.

For now though they had a castle to scope out and duels to participate in.


	35. Chapter 35

While he knew that his friends were on the island, Jonouchi put a great amount of effort in keeping himself away from them for the time being. He couldn't explain this, after all. He couldn't.

He just...he couldn't, and that was final. He'd made it at least somewhat clear he was alive, and that was enough right?

...

Dueling was _hard_.

He figured that out the moment he was in the duel box with Mai Kujaku, a woman who claimed that he caught her interest by simply not being _interested_. And it was true, she was a hell of a woman to see!

The problem was that he couldn't well emote it.

Also, he was wearing like three different masks and costumes right now- spidersuit (or himself), old goggles and bandanna, plus hoodie and jeans...

He didn't exactly look...friendly. And he sounded pretty obviously synthesized. Jonouchi wondered if he'd have even gotten any duels without Bakura vouching for him in fact- or as was the case for his duel with Ryuzaki, Mai setting it up.

But Ryuzaki! The runner up in all of Japan..!

"Hnhnhnnn....you're doing fairly well now aren't you?" Bakura chuckled part way through the day, his friend allowing the body to rest limp against a tree.

"Maaaan...I jus' wish I could actually feel like it was enjoyable..!" he groaned, watching as Bakura examined his ring.

"Perhaps you'll experience that when you get your body back, hm?" Maybe, Jonouchi thought.

_Maybe_.

He had about 6 starchips at that point. Two had become four when he fought Mai, though Mai had already faced a few others already and was probably going to reach ten soon. He'd only wagered two more against Ryuzaki- but since it wasn't even noon, Jonouchi wasn't especially worried about running out of time. Frankly, he was wondering if Pegasus would actually let him in but...eh, they'd get to that when they got there.

For the moment they were mostly just relaxing in the shade.

"Man...figures all th' good webbin' points would be outta reach..."

Bakura raised his eyebrows. "Coming from the one so concerned about staying hidden? Even if there was something you could reach, we would need to wait for nightfall."

"Nnhhhh...That ain't helpin!"

"Hnhnhnhnhn...nor is your complaining. We're doing well as it is. Though we'll need to start moving again soon, now that it's clear this _is_ our best way in."

To that, Jonouchi sighed- but after all, he was right. Any good webbing points were too obvious, and from there there was still the matter of breaking in.

Walking into the front door really _was_ their best option.

"It'd still be _easier_ ," Jonouchi muttered despite everything.

Bakura took that and just rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Of course, of course...sadly Jonouchi, we do not have the advantage of whatever mutant abilities you typically have. While I'm charmed by your dedication to the ideal, Starchips, it is."

"Eeeeugh..." His shoulders slumped, at least partly because of just releasing much focus on them. He then shot up rather abruptly, 'eyes' shooting toward something in the distance. He wished, so bad that he could just zoom the lenses on these. Really z-

...

Ah, they Could do that apparently. The lenses focused and zoomed in on what he swore he saw, Bakura's interest grabbed by the sudden silence of his typically annoying travel partner.

"...Jonouchi?"

"...'s somethin' over there," he muttered, slowly getting up to move in a crouch. "...I'm checkin' it out..."

There was muttering.

It looked to be an old, withered man- certainly not one of the competitors- speaking into a radio. "...aha, finally, a signal..." Oh..? "This is the Imitator," the man spoke. "I've yet to locate the target; has the story changed?"

Jonouchi cocked his head, straining to try and catch what was said on the other end. He had limits however, or rather, the suit did. One of those limits was trying to use a microphone to catch the words from a number of feet away on a radio.

Boo.

He didn't need the story however he decided. Before his eyes the man began to...change. His posture straightened with an echoing crack- his skin lost its wrinkling, his very facial structure changing. Jonouchi did not need facial muscles to convey the horror growing within him as the elderly man before him successfully shapeshifted into Seto Kaiba.

Nor did he need to wonder what was in the deck the man held. Instead without thought he rushed forward, spraying webbing across their arm and pulling the string taught.

He might not have been able to put force behind a punch, but he could at least keep himself from being dragged away- with more webbing if necessary.

The 'old man' choked, Seto's voice passing his lips. "Who on- ...No," he realized, eyes wide. "You _SAW_ me..!"

"Yeah, an' that ain't all..!" ...Alright so it was all, but better to bluff.

Especially since the false Kaiba looked ready to spill everything. "Tch... You won't be so confident when I-"

-Pwssht!-

-clnk-

The radio was pulled over to Jonouchi's hand, before it was passed to Bakura- who in turn hummed slightly before dropping it and stepping over it with his foot.

"You were sayin'? Gotta speak up old-timer! Maybe y' oughta pick a better face to copy, moneybags works so hard he might as well look your real age!" he laughed, added static filling the words.

This did not especially please the old man- but then again nothing much would by now. "Enough with your jokes..! You may have delayed my back-up, but I-"

"You'll what? Duel me, grandpa?"

Silence. And Bakura, of all people, broke it.

"That might not be a bad idea," he noted with a shark-like grin, eyes on the man's wrist. Not yet hidden, there was a thick glove with _two_ rows of star chips, gleaming under the light of the sun. "Jonouchi...weren't you just saying it was taking us too long to get where we need to go?" A dangerous chuckle entered the air, and he crossed his arms. "...I believe there's a duel table not far...Perhaps you can wager on it. His escape, and your silence...against the chips you need, and his imprisonment..."

Before Jonouchi could say anything, the imposter immediately protested. "What..! You...presumptive brat!" he snapped, the words sounding _extremely_ odd in Kaiba's voice. "All _I_ need to do is wait! And when Pegasus finds what you've done..."

"Hohh, y' mean th' guy who gave you some kinda mission? I dunno about you, but that seams like somethin' he'd put a time limit on wouldn' it?" Given how pale the shapeshifter grew, Jonouchi was right on the mark. "Not t' mention...this webbin' takes a few hours t' disolve, y'know..." He chuckled straightening up and shrugging. "So 'f I really wanted, I could jus' wrap y' up to a tree! An' then you'd be really late, huh!"

"N...Nhhh..."

"So...What will it be, _shapeshifter?_ "

Suffice to say, they were soon leading a shapeshifter (who refused, for reasons beyond Jonouchi's guess, to drop the current form) to a duel box.


	36. Chapter 36

When Blue Eyes appeared, Jonouchi wondered if his heart would have stopped. He didn't. Technically have one after all, so it was worth wondering. Since he had no heart to stop, he slowly looked at Bakura.

Bakura just raised an eyebrow- he was standing in the box behind the other, having sworn to leave if it looked like he was going to give any hints. "What? He took Kaiba's form, but you didn't expect his cards?"

Across from them, the shapeshifter did have to admit something. "I'm surprised you actually know about the Blue-Eyes White Dragons being in my deck," he hummed, mimicking Seto Kaiba's voice and tonal pattern perfectly. "Considering I had yet to make it...public."

"Nhhh-! Oi! You! Cut that shit out, it's creepy!"

"Hnhnhnhnnh..." The shapeshifter only chuckled. He was pretty sure Bakura muttered something about being predictable.

"Dang it, there's three in there too..."

"Mnh? Three?" Bakura noted with raised brows. He'd known about the one- in earlier conversation Jonouchi had mentioned Kaiba's funds being enough for it. But all three?

"Yeah, he ran 'm against Yugi..." And....

That alone was making it pretty hard to work up the effort to keep going honestly.

Jonouchi's deck was already not the greatest match against Kaiba's- even in the hands of a Fake. At the moment he had a fairly impressive start. It figured that he'd run out of luck that quick. He started with Red-Eyes. Got a solid hit in, too.

And then this stupid white dragon came onto the field.

The only thing saving him right now was the fact that a unique face down was involved- Bakura seemed to be twitching when he saw the action, but Jonouchi just sighed in relief and moved his monster to defense mode- getting Flame Swordsman in defense as well.

...

Which, naturally, lasted about two seconds because the card his opponent had set was Stop Defense.

But still! He. He could maybe do this? He _did_ have Dragon Nails in his deck...originally it was to give Baby Dragon a bit of a boost. But if he gave it to Red-Eyes...

...well 2400, with 700, that was _just_ over 3000 wasn't it? He just. Had to hope this guy didn't power the dragon up.

Yeah.

He drew his card, and paused.

...

Or he could just do this.

"I'm playin' Time Wizard!"

He practically _felt_ the incredulous choking Bakura was now experiencing.

Even his opponent was doing it. "Y-You...You're risking everything on that!? On a one in three gamble!?"

"Heck yeah I am! If I can't put my trust in this much, what 'm I good for!"

He would have looked really bad, in hindsight, if the roll failed.

But it didn't.

Blue Eyes White Dragon whithered into something defenseless, and Jonouchi pointed forward eagerly. "Red-Eyes...DIRECT ATTACK!"

"NHHHHHKKKHHH!!"

There was no dramatic explosion. No echoing boom, no thundering shout of penalty game. After all, this was just a normal duel. But Jonouchi didn't hesitate as the fake gradually shifted back into their original form.

He aimed, he shot, and he bound the sucker to the chair.

"Guh! You...You rats..!" the now gravelly, aged voice snapped. "You pathetic rats!"

"Yeah yeah, save it pal!" He started clicking the starchips into his glove, only to pause and add more.

"Oh?" Bakura probably knew why, but he decided to play it up anyway. "Feeling generous?"

"Y- We agreed on the chips you needed!" The shapeshifter screeched, only to find webbing across his mouth.

"Yep! An' I need these f'r someone else!" The chips were pocketted, and Jonouchi turned to the deck.

Bakura just leaned back and watched as his companion gathered them. "Planning to have a meeting with your friends after all?" he asked, smirking faintly.

Jonouchi was quiet. "...Yeah." He was quiet until they left the box again, deck in one pocket, chips in the other, and phone in hand. "I..."

"Save your excuses- send your text, I don't need to hear your reason."

"Gkh..." Of course he didn't.

Of course not.


	37. Chapter 37

He didn't want Yugi to see him like this.

It was selfish, he'd admit that. Selfish, but he'd thought he could easily do this alone- or as alone as being with Bakura was. But he didn't want to be seen _like this_.

But he was carrying Seto Kaiba's deck now, and he had starchips in his pocket, and if for whatever reason he wasn't able to make it in he _needed_ Yugi to make it. And if Yugi was the one to do it, Yugi would be the one to pass that deck to the one to whom it belonged.

The duel box he waited in was at a cliff. 'Alone' he texted, and he bitterly tried not to think about how the sound of a deep breath was just one he made for the _sound_ of it, and one without motion. He sent the location of the box, and then again...

'Need 2 Talk'

'Alone'

Bakura was in the trees. He'd stared at him, would have glared even, but finally he said- 'Yugi doesn' need t' deal w' this much righ' now. I dunno what you want w' him, but even if the answer's nothin, he ain't gonna take you bein' on separate terms w' the 'Other Bakura' well. So hang back,' he'd insisted, and Bakura surprisingly had agreed.

'After all,' he chuckled behind him. 'I'm sure it won't be much longer before we meet anyway.'

So they waited. Waited until Yugi came forward. Waited until the duel box opened. Until...

"Jonouchi..?"

"...Hey, Yugi..."

All they had to hear was the static edge of his voice, and they realized something was wrong.


End file.
